Sample records for organic pollution patterns

The aim of this paper is to examine the patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Baltic, Northeast and Eastern England, and the St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada). In fact, the feeding habits of the ringed seal (Phoca hispida) include ingestion of major quantities of benthic crustaceans that might cause observed differences obtained in PCBs, whereas the grey seal feed mainly on fish. The profile (percent in mixture) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180, and the total of their concentrations in mg/kg lipid in grey seals from the Baltic, from Northeast and Eastern England, and from the St. Lawrence estuary (Canada), were examined by principal component analysis (PCA). When considering the possible effects of consuming seafood by the grey seal, it is necessary to characterize populations and individuals according to the amounts they consume, since populations in different parts of the world are likely to show big differences in their consumption of seafood. The patterns differ between juveniles and adult animals, but the gender of adults and geography do not appear to play a role.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are apex predators in coastal southeastern U.S. waters; as such they are indicators of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in coastal ecosystems. POP concentrations measured in a dolphin's blubber are influenced by a number of factors, including the animal's sex and ranging pattern in relation to POP point sources. This study examined POP concentrations measured in bottlenose dolphin blubber samples (n=102) from the Georgia, USA coast in relation to individual ranging patterns and specifically, distance of sightings from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) point source near Brunswick, Georgia. Dolphin ranging patterns were determined based upon 5years of photo-identification data from two field sites approximately 40km apart: (1) the Brunswick field site, which included the Turtle/Brunswick River Estuary (TBRE), and (2) the Sapelo field site, which included the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR). Dolphins were categorized into one of three ranging patterns from photo-identification data. Individuals with sighting histories exclusively within one of the defined field sites were considered to have either Brunswick or Sapelo ranging patterns. Individuals sighted in both field sites were classified as having a Mixed ranging pattern. Brunswick males had the highest concentrations of PCBs reported for any marine mammal. The pattern of PCB congeners was consistent with Aroclor 1268, a highly chlorinated PCB mixture associated with a Superfund site in Brunswick. PCB levels in Sapelo males were lower than in Brunswick males, but comparable to the highest levels measured in other dolphin populations along the southeastern U.S. Female dolphins had higher Aroclor 1268 proportions than males, suggesting that the highly chlorinated congeners associated with Aroclor 1268 may not be offloaded through parturition and lactation, as easily as less halogenated POPs. Individuals sighted farther from the Superfund point

We hypothesized that depleted fat reserves in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) following annual hibernation would reveal increases in persistent organicpollutant (POP) concentrations compared to those present in the fall. We obtained fat and hair from British Columbia grizzly bears in early spring 2004 to compare with those collected in fall 2003, with the two tissue types providing contaminant and dietary information, respectively. By correcting for the individual feeding habits of grizzlies using a stable isotope-based approach, we found that polychlorinated biphenyls (sigmaPCBs) increased by 2.21x, polybrominated diphenylethers (sigmaPBDEs) increased by 1.58x, and chlordanes (sigmaCHL) by 1.49x in fat following hibernation. Interestingly, individual POPs elicited a wide range of hibernation-associated concentration effects (e.g., CB-153, 2.25x vs CB-169, 0.00x), resulting in POP pattern convergence in a PCA model of two distinct fall feeding groups (salmon-eating vs non-salmon-eating) into a single spring (post-hibernation) group. Our results suggest that diet dictates contaminant patterns during a feeding phase, while metabolism drives patterns during a fasting phase. This work suggests a duality of POP-associated health risks to hibernating grizzly bears: (1) increased concentrations of some POPs during hibernation; and (2) a potentially prolonged accumulation of water-soluble, highly reactive POP metabolites, since grizzly bears do not excrete during hibernation.

In the Great Lakes, introduced Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) can transport persistent organicpollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), to new environments during their spawning migrations. To explore the nature and extent of POP biotransport by salmon, we compared 58 PCB and 6 PBDE congeners found in spawning salmon directly to those in resident stream fish. We hypothesized that stream fish exposed to salmon spawners would have congener patterns similar to those of salmon, the presumed contaminant source. Using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), we found that POP congener patterns of Pacific salmon varied among regions in the Great Lakes basin (i.e., Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, or Lake Superior), tissue type (whole fish or eggs), and contaminant type (PCB or PBDE). For stream-resident fish, POP congener pattern was influenced by the presence of salmon, location (i.e., Great Lakes Basin), and species identity (i.e., brook trout [Salvelinus fontinalis] or mottled sculpin [Cottus bairdii]). Similarity in congener patterns indicated that salmon are a source of POPs to brook trout in stream reaches receiving salmon spawners from Lake Michigan and Lake Huron but not from Lake Superior. Congener patterns of mottled sculpin differed from those of brook trout and salmon, suggesting that brook trout and mottled sculpin either use salmon tissue to differing degrees, acquire POPs from different dietary sources, or bioaccumulate or metabolize POPs differently. Overall, our analyses identified the important role of salmon in contaminant biotransport but also demonstrated that the extent of salmon-mediated POP transfer and uptake in Great Lakes tributaries is location- and species-specific.

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are widely distnbuted in the environment, are resistant to degradation, and increase in concentration (biomagnify) in the food chain. Concentrations in apical predators may be tens to hundreds of times greater than concentrations in their pref...

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are widely distnbuted in the environment, are resistant to degradation, and increase in concentration (biomagnify) in the food chain. Concentrations in apical predators may be tens to hundreds of times greater than concentrations in their pref...

Persistent organicpollutants are a concern for species occupying high trophic levels since they can cause immunosuppression and impair reproduction. Mass mortalities due to canine distemper virus (CDV) occurred in Caspian seals (Pusa caspica), in spring of 1997, 2000 and 2001, but the potential role of organochlorine exposure in these epizootics remains undetermined. Here we integrate Caspian seal mortality data spanning 1971-2008, with data on age, body condition, pathology and blubber organochlorine concentration for carcases stranded between 1997 and 2002. We test the hypothesis that summed PCB and DDT concentrations contributed to CDV associated mortality during epizootics. We show that age is the primary factor explaining variation in blubber organochlorine concentrations, and that organochlorine burden, age, sex, and body condition do not account for CDV infection status (positive/negative) of animals dying in epizootics. Most animals (57%, n = 67) had PCB concentrations below proposed thresholds for toxic effects in marine mammals (17 µg/g lipid weight), and only 3 of 67 animals had predicted TEQ values exceeding levels seen to be associated with immune suppression in harbour seals (200 pg/g lipid weight). Mean organonchlorine levels were higher in CDV-negative animals indicating that organochlorines did not contribute significantly to CDV mortality in epizootics. Mortality monitoring in Azerbaijan 1971-2008 revealed bi-annual stranding peaks in late spring, following the annual moult and during autumn migrations northwards. Mortality peaks comparable to epizootic years were also recorded in the 1970s-1980s, consistent with previous undocumented CDV outbreaks. Gompertz growth curves show that Caspian seals achieve an asymptotic standard body length of 126-129 cm (n = 111). Males may continue to grow slowly throughout life. Mortality during epizootics may exceed the potential biological removal level (PBR) for the population, but the low frequency of

Persistent organicpollutants are a concern for species occupying high trophic levels since they can cause immunosuppression and impair reproduction. Mass mortalities due to canine distemper virus (CDV) occurred in Caspian seals (Pusa caspica), in spring of 1997, 2000 and 2001, but the potential role of organochlorine exposure in these epizootics remains undetermined. Here we integrate Caspian seal mortality data spanning 1971–2008, with data on age, body condition, pathology and blubber organochlorine concentration for carcases stranded between 1997 and 2002. We test the hypothesis that summed PCB and DDT concentrations contributed to CDV associated mortality during epizootics. We show that age is the primary factor explaining variation in blubber organochlorine concentrations, and that organochlorine burden, age, sex, and body condition do not account for CDV infection status (positive/negative) of animals dying in epizootics. Most animals (57%, n = 67) had PCB concentrations below proposed thresholds for toxic effects in marine mammals (17 µg/g lipid weight), and only 3 of 67 animals had predicted TEQ values exceeding levels seen to be associated with immune suppression in harbour seals (200 pg/g lipid weight). Mean organonchlorine levels were higher in CDV-negative animals indicating that organochlorines did not contribute significantly to CDV mortality in epizootics. Mortality monitoring in Azerbaijan 1971–2008 revealed bi-annual stranding peaks in late spring, following the annual moult and during autumn migrations northwards. Mortality peaks comparable to epizootic years were also recorded in the 1970s–1980s, consistent with previous undocumented CDV outbreaks. Gompertz growth curves show that Caspian seals achieve an asymptotic standard body length of 126–129 cm (n = 111). Males may continue to grow slowly throughout life. Mortality during epizootics may exceed the potential biological removal level (PBR) for the population, but the low

As apex predators within coastal ecosystems, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are prone to accumulate complex mixtures of persistent organicpollutants (POPs). While substantial variations in POP patterns have been previously observed in dolphin populations separated across regional- and fine-scale geographic ranges, less is known regarding the factors influencing contaminant patterns within localized populations. To assess the variation of POP mixtures that occurs among individuals of a population, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), organochlorine pesticide (OCP) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations were measured in blubber and milk of bottlenose dolphins resident to Sarasota Bay, FL, and principal components analysis (PCA) was used to explain mixture variations in relation to age, sex and reproductive maturity. PCA demonstrated significant variations in contaminant mixtures within the resident dolphin community. POP patterns in juvenile dolphins resembled patterns in milk, the primary diet source, and were dominated by lower-halogenated PCBs and PBDEs. A significant correlation between principal component 2 (PC2) and age in male dolphins indicated that juvenile contaminant patterns gradually shifted away from the milk-like pattern over time. Metabolically-refractory PCBs significantly increased with age in male dolphins, whereas PCBs subject to cytochrome p450 1A1 metabolism did not, suggesting that changes in male POP patterns likely resulted from the selective accumulation of persistent POP congeners. Changes to POP patterns were gradual for juvenile females, but changed dramatically at reproductive maturity and gradually shifted back towards pre-parturient profiles thereafter. Congener-specific blubber/milk partition coefficients indicated that lower-halogenated POPs were selectively offloaded into milk and changes in adult female contaminant profiles likely resulted from the offloading of these compounds during the first reproductive

Available data were reviewed to assess the status of contamination by persistent organicpollutants (POPs), including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), in drinking water sources and coastal waters of China. The levels of POPs in China's waters were generally at the high end of the global range. A comparison of China's regulatory limits indicated that PCBs in rivers and coastal water may pose potential human health risk. Occurrence of DDTs in some rivers of China may also pose health risk to humans using the regulatory limits of DDTs recommended by the European Union. Future monitoring of POPs in China's waters should be directed towards analytes of concern (e.g. PCBs and PCDD/Fs) and to fill data gaps for analytes (e.g. PBDEs, PCDD/Fs, and chlordane) and in watersheds/regions (e.g. West China) where data are scarce.

We used XAD-resin based passive air samplers (PAS) to measure atmospheric levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at five ombrotrophic bogs in Eastern Canada. The aims of our study were to investigate the influence of local roads on contaminant levels in the bogs, to derive the regional pattern of atmospheric concentrations, and to assess the uncertainties of the method. Expanded uncertainties based on the duplicate PAS deployed at 24 sites were good for the PAHs, while the deployment period of approx. 100 days was too short to yield acceptable uncertainties for PCBs. The regional PAH distribution was in good agreement with the calculated source proximity of the sampled bogs. We conclude that XAD-resin based PAS deployed for comparatively short periods are well suited for measuring atmospheric concentrations of volatile PAHs, while in remote regions longer deployment is necessary for less volatile PAHs and for PCBs.

Residues of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) were analysed in 70 selected food items from Northwest Russia in 1998-2002. Levels of PCBs ranged from 0.2 to 16ng/g wet weight (ww) in dairy products and fats, 0.2 to 23ng/g ww in meat products, 0.5 to 16ng/g ww in eggs and 0.3 to 30ng/g ww in fish. High levels of DDT (16ng/g ww) were found in locally produced butter from Kola Peninsula, in pork fat from Arkhangels region (10 to 130ng/g ww) and in some fish samples from White Sea and Kargopol region (17 and 30ng/g ww). Findings of low DDE/DDT ratios in many of the studied food items indicated recent contamination to DDTs. Mean levels of sum TEQs(WHO1998) of dioxin-like mono-ortho PCBs: PCBs 105, 118, 156 and 157 (∑mo-PCBs-TEQs(WHO1998)) were highest in dairy products, chicken eggs and fish, with levels of 0.292, 0.245 and 0.254pg/g ww, respectively. The estimated daily intake (EDI) for ∑mo-PCBs-TEQs(WHO1998) was 0.74pg/kgbw/day and in the same range as in Sweden and Denmark. Fish, dairy products, eggs and meat were the main contributors to the EDI of ∑mo-PCBs-TEQs(WHO1998). The EDIs of DDTs, HCHs and HCB were several times higher than in Sweden and Denmark. Consumption of meat and poultry were important sources for intake of DDTs and HCHs, respectively. Contamination of animal feed and agricultural practice were assumed the most important causes for the results in the present study. However, increased control on maximum residue levels in food and feed may have resulted in large changes on levels and patterns of POPs in food in the studied areas.

This Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment (PPOA) was conducted for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico Organization 1700 in June, 2006. The primary purpose of this PPOA is to provide recommendations to assist Organization 1700 in reducing the generation of waste and improving the efficiency of their processes and procedures. This report contains a summary of the information collected, analyses performed and recommended options for implementation. The Sandia National Laboratories Pollution Prevention staff will continue to work with Organization 1700 to implement the recommendations.

Organicpollutants in soils might threaten the environmental and human health. Manufactured nanoparticles are capable to reduce this risk efficiently due to their relatively large capacity of sorption and degradation of organicpollutants. Stability, mobility, and reactivity of nanoparticles are prerequisites for their efficacy in soil remediation. On the basis of a brief introduction of these issues, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the application and effectiveness of various types of manufactured nanoparticles for removing organicpollutants from soil. The main categories of nanoparticles include iron (oxides), titanium dioxide, carbonaceous, palladium, and amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles. Their advantages (e.g., unique properties and high sorption capacity) and disadvantages (e.g., high cost and low recovery) for soil remediation are discussed with respect to the characteristics of organicpollutants. The factors that influence the decontamination effects, such as properties, surfactants, solution chemistry, and soil organic matter, are addressed.

Chemiluminescent reactions can be used for specific and highly sensitive detection of a number of air pollutants. Among these are chemiluminescent reactions of ozone with NO or organics and reactions of luminol with a variety of oxidants. Reported here are studies exploring (1) the use of the temperature dependence of the chemiluminescent reactions of ozone with organicpollutants as a means of differentiating types of hydrocarbon classes and (2) the use of luminol techniques to monitor atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO{sub 2}) and organic oxidants, specifically peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs). Coupling gas chromatography to the chemiluminescent detectors allows the measurement of individual species at very low concentrations.

This Pollution Prevention (P2) Guide provides information to help organizations get P2 programs started on t re-evaluate existing P2 programs. It presents an alternative method for working on P2 projects and four approaches to implementing a P2 program in an organization. The int...

This Pollution Prevention (P2) Guide provides information to help organizations get P2 programs started on t re-evaluate existing P2 programs. It presents an alternative method for working on P2 projects and four approaches to implementing a P2 program in an organization. The int...

In Brazil, the policy for disposing industrial sludge is changing from an emphasis on using controlled landfills to other treatment or co-processing methods; however, the monitoring of organicpollutants is not mandatory. The present study evaluated two general screening methods for organicpollutants in sludge generated in an automotive industrial complex in southern Brazil. The screening was performed using Soxhlet and sonication extractions and Gas Chromatograph coupled with Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (GC/qMS). It was concluded that both techniques were effective and that most of the compounds identified were alkanes, phenols and esters. Important pollutants were detected in the sludge, which confirms the necessity of monitoring this type of residue.

Contamination of soil and natural waters by organicpollutants is a global problem. The major organicpollutants of point sources are mineral oil, fuel components, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Research from the last two decades discovered that most of these compounds are biodegradable under anoxic conditions. This has led to the rise of bioremediation strategies based on the in situ biodegradation of pollutants. Monitored natural attenuation is a concept by which a contaminated site is remediated by natural biodegradation; to evaluate such processes, a combination of chemical and microbiological methods are usually used. Compound specific stable isotope analysis emerged as a key method for detecting and quantifying in situ biodegradation. Natural attenuation processes can be initiated or accelerated by manipulating the environmental conditions to become favorable for indigenous pollutant degrading microbial communities or by adding externally breeded specific pollutant degrading microorganisms; these techniques are referred to as enhanced natural attenuation. Xenobiotic micropollutants, such as pesticides or pharmaceuticals, contaminate diffusively large areas in low concentrations; the biodegradation pattern of such contaminations are not yet understood.

An exploratory study was performed to assess the semivolatile and nonvolatile organicpollutant emission rates from unvented kerosene space heaters. A well-tuned radiant heater and maltuned convective heater were tested for semivolatile and nonvolatile organicpollutant emiss...

An exploratory study was performed to assess the semivolatile and nonvolatile organicpollutant emission rates from unvented kerosene space heaters. A well-tuned radiant heater and maltuned convective heater were tested for semivolatile and nonvolatile organicpollutant emiss...

Persistent organicpollutants (POP) are long-lived organic compounds that become concentrated as they move through the food chain. They have toxic effects on animal reproduction, development and immunological function. Understanding how POPs migrate through the global environment has become the focus of growing national and international concern. It is thus timely to evaluate, modify and extend the various concepts of POP distribution, especially in the view of recently announced international intentions to control the use of such substances. 15 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

A simple and effective method to demonstrate the phenomenon of photocatalytic degradation of a gaseous organicpollutant was developed. Titanium dioxide (anatase) was used as the photocatalyst, and sunlight was found to be an effective light source for the activation of TiO2. The organicpollutant degrade in this demonstration was a common indoor air pollutant, dichloromethane. The TiO2 powder was suspended in a 3:7 ethanol/water solution, and then coated on microscopic slides. The slides together with appropriate indicators were place in 250-mL conical flasks. A small amount of the volatile dichloromethane solvent was injected into each flask, and the flasks were sealed with a piece of parafilm. Some of the flasks were exposed to direct sunlight, and some were kept in the dark. The degradation products of dichloromethane were carbon dioxide, water, and hydrogen chloride. Formation of the acidic HCl gas could be monitored easily by two indicators, the universal pH paper and ammonia. The universal pH paper would change color from green to red in the presence of HCl and H2O, while HCl would react with ammonia to form a white fume. The results of this demonstration showed that both TiO2 and light were required in this photocatalytic degradation process.

Organisms are simultaneously exposed to various stressors, including parasites and pollutants, that may interact with each other. Research on the accumulation of organic compounds in host-parasite systems is scant compared to studies on parasite-metal interactions and mainly focuses on intestinal endoparasites. We reviewed factors that determine the accumulation of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in host-parasite systems. The wet/dry weight-based concentration of POPs in these parasites is usually lower than that in host tissues because of lower lipid contents in the parasites. However, the fractionation of the pollutants into parasites and their hosts may vary, depending on developmental stages in the life cycle of the parasites. Developmental stages determine the trophic relationship and the taxon of the parasite in the host-parasite systems because of different feeding strategies between the stages. Lipid-corrected concentrations of organic chemicals in the host are usually higher than those in the endoparasites studied. This phenomenon is attributed to a number of physiological and behavioural processes, such as feeding selectivity and strategy and excretion. Moreover, no significant relationship was found between the accumulation factor (i.e. the ratio between the lipid-corrected concentrations in parasites and in their hosts) for polychlorinated biphenyls and either hydrophobicity or molecular size. At the intermediate hydrophobicity, larger and more lipophilic compounds are accumulated at higher levels in both parasites and the host than smaller and less lipophilic compounds. The bioaccumulation of POPs in parasites is affected by some other abiotic, e.g. temperature, and biotic factors, e.g. the number of host species infected by parasites.

One indication of model performance is the comparison of spatial patterns of pollutants, either as concentration or deposition, predicted by the model with spatial patterns derived from measurements. If the spatial patterns produced by the model are similar to the observations i...

This review includes subjects in last year's reviews on effects of pollution on freshwater invertebrates and effects of pollution on freshwater fish and amphibians. This review also includes information on the effects of pollution on freshwater plants. 625 references.

U.S. EPA conducted a national statistical survey of fish tissue contamination at 540 river sites (representing 82 954 river km) in 2008–2009, and analyzed samples for 50 persistent organicpollutants (POPs), including 21 PCB congeners, 8 PBDE congeners, and 21 organochlorine pesticides. The survey results were used to provide national estimates of contamination for these POPs. PCBs were the most abundant, being measured in 93.5% of samples. Summed concentrations of the 21 PCB congeners had a national weighted mean of 32.7 μg/kg and a maximum concentration of 857 μg/kg, and exceeded the human health cancer screening value of 12 μg/kg in 48% of the national sampled population of river km, and in 70% of the urban sampled population. PBDEs (92.0%), chlordane (88.5%) and DDT (98.7%) were also detected frequently, although at lower concentrations. Results were examined by subpopulations of rivers, including urban or nonurban and three defined ecoregions. PCBs, PBDEs, and DDT occur at significantly higher concentrations in fish from urban rivers versus nonurban; however, the distribution varied more among the ecoregions. Wildlife screening values previously published for bird and mammalian species were converted from whole fish to fillet screening values, and used to estimate risk for wildlife through fish consumption. This work presents the results of the 2008-2009 National Rivers and Streams Assessment Survey (NRSA) where 50 persistent organicpollutants (POPs

Groundwater organicpollutions are found in large amount of locations, and the pollutions are widely spread once onset; which is hard to identify and control. The key process to control and govern groundwater pollution is how to control the sources of pollution and reduce the danger to groundwater. This paper introduced typical contaminated sites as an example; then carried out the source identification studies and established groundwater organicpollution source identification system, finally applied the system to the identification of typical contaminated sites. First, grasp the basis of the contaminated sites of geological and hydrogeological conditions; determine the contaminated sites characteristics of pollutants as carbon tetrachloride, from the large numbers of groundwater analysis and test data; then find the solute transport model of contaminated sites and compound-specific isotope techniques. At last, through groundwater solute transport model and compound-specific isotope technology, determine the distribution of the typical site of organic sources of pollution and pollution status; invest identified potential sources of pollution and sample the soil to analysis. It turns out that the results of two identified historical pollution sources and pollutant concentration distribution are reliable. The results provided the basis for treatment of groundwater pollution.

Abstract Rationale: Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a clinicopathological entity characterized by granulation tissue plugs in the lumen of small airways, alveolar ducts, and alveoli. OP can be cryptogenic (primary) (COP) or secondary to various lung injuries. Patient concerns: We report the case of a 38-year-old male smoker with COP presenting in the form of diffuse micronodules on computed tomography (CT) scan and describe the clinical, radiological, and functional characteristics of micronodular pattern of organizing pneumonia (MNOP) based on a review of the literature including 14 cases. Patients were younger (36.3 ± 15.5 years) than those with the classical form of OP. The clinical presentation was subacute in all cases with a mean duration of symptoms before admission of 14.5 ± 13.2 days. The radiological pattern was characterized by centrilobular nodules and “bud-in-tree” sign in 86.7% of patients. The diagnosis was based on histological examination of transbronchial (28.6%) or surgical biopsies (71.4%). Diagnosis: An associated condition was identified in 65% of cases and included illicit substance abuse (44.5%), myeloproliferative disease (33.5%), and infections (22%). Outcomes: Steroid therapy was effective in all patients with improvement of symptoms and documented radiologic resolution. No relapse was recorded. Lessons: MNOP should be recognized and distinguished from other diagnoses, mainly infectious bronchiolitis and disseminated tumor, as it requires early specific steroid therapy. PMID:28099335

The lack of reliable forecasts for the spread of oceanic and atmospheric contamination hinders the effective protection of the ecosystem, society, and the economy from the fallouts of environmental disasters. The consequences can be dire, as evidenced by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. We present a methodology to predict major short-term changes in environmental contamination patterns, such as oil spills in the ocean and ash clouds in the atmosphere. Our approach is based on new mathematical results on the objective (frame-independent) identification of key material surfaces that drive tracer mixing in unsteady, finite-time flow data. Some of these material surfaces, known as Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs), turn out to admit highly attracting cores that lead to inevitable material instabilities even under future uncertainties or unexpected perturbations to the observed flow. These LCS cores have the potential to forecast imminent shape changes in the contamination pattern, even before the instability builds up and brings large masses of water or air into motion. Exploiting this potential, the LCS-core analysis developed here provides a model-independent forecasting scheme that relies only on already observed or validated flow velocities at the time the prediction is made. We use this methodology to obtain high-precision forecasts of two major instabilities that occurred in the shape of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This is achieved using simulated surface currents preceding the prediction times and assuming that the oil behaves as a passive tracer. PMID:22411824

This study examines the response of living benthic foraminifera at a polluted site in eastern Bahrain, with the aim to determine the effects of anthropogenic pollution on their distribution patterns and the occurrence of morphological deformities. The boat harbor in Askar (Bahrain) is subjected to pollution by nutrients, organic matter, and hydrocarbons. Foraminiferal density is found to be higher at the polluted site compared with a nearby unpolluted site, suggesting a higher amount of available food for the benthic foraminifera. Seven taxonomical groups were recognized in the organicallypolluted transect including Ammonia, Glabratellina, Murrayinella, Elphidium, Brizalina, miliolids, and peneroplids. By comparing the foraminiferal assemblages with a nearby unpolluted transect, the genus Murrayinella appeared to be a dominant and pervasive taxon that was able to proliferate in an organicallypolluted environment. Strong correlations of Murrayinella with nitrates, sulfates, TOC, and THC put forward the opportunistic behavior of this taxon. Our results contrast with previously published findings on modern foraminiferal assemblage in the Arabian Gulf, as Murrayinella is rarely reported. The population of miliolids was drastically reduced at the polluted site, which suggests that the group was adversely affected by organicpollution when compared with the unpolluted transect. This reaffirms the sensitive nature of the miliolid group of foraminifera, supporting the findings of previous studies of the effect of historical coastal eutrophication on foraminiferal assemblages in the Gulf of Mexico and Japan. Therefore, the miliolids might be considered as a pollution proxy for future biomonitoring studies in the Gulf region.

A survey of the concentration of PCB's and chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in Susquehanna River Basin sediments was performed on samples collected from New York and Pennsylvania in 1976-1979. Highest concentrations were found for PCB's, with median and range of 38 and 13-524 ng/g, respectively. Pesticides had median concentrations ranging from approx.1 ng/g for DDT, DDD, and DDE, to less than 0.1 ng/g for aldrin and dieldrin. Highest concentrations generally were found downstream from industrial centers. Concentrations of PCB's and pesticides were also determined for soil composites collected from six areas of the basin. For several pollutants, the highest levels were found in the Pennsylvania areas, especially the Conestoga River Basin site. The PCB levels were the same (approx.35 ng/g) in all New York soil composites; this was consistent with concentrations predicted from known atmospheric deposition data. Adsorption of atrazine and simazine on model substrates was stuided to elucidate the partitioning of these herbicides on river sediments. Clean sea sand had little affinity for these compounds. Adsorption on illite clay and humic acid-coated sea sand gave relatively large K/sub p/ and K/sub oc/ values compared to the values for river sediments, suggesting that the nature of the sites available for absorbing organic molecules needs further study.

Enantiomers of chiral compounds commonly undergo enantioselective transformation in most biologically mediated processes. As chiral persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are extensively distributed in the environment, differences between enantiomers in biotransformation should be carefully considered to obtain exact enrichment and specific health risks. This review provides an overview of in vivo biotransformation of chiral POPs currently indicated in the Stockholm Convention and their chiral metabolites. Peer-reviewed journal articles focused on the research question were thoroughly searched. A set of inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to identify relevant studies. We mainly compared the results from different animal models under controlled laboratory conditions to show the difference between enantiomers in terms of distinct transformation potential. Interactions with enzymes involved in enantioselective biotransformation, especially cytochrome P450 (CYP), were discussed. Further research areas regarding this issue were proposed. Limited evidence for a few POPs has been found in 30 studies. Enantioselective biotransformation of α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), chlordane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), heptachlor, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and toxaphene, has been investigated using laboratory mammal, fish, bird, and worm models. Tissue and excreta distributions, as well as bioaccumulation and elimination kinetics after administration of racemate and pure enantiomers, have been analyzed in these studies. Changes in enantiomeric fractions have been considered as an indicator of enantioselective biotransformation of chiral POPs in most studies. Results of different laboratory animal models revealed that chiral POP biotransformation is seriously affected by chirality. Pronounced results of species-, tissue-, gender-, and individual-dependent differences are observed in in vivo biotransformation of chiral POPs

While many cyclodextrin-based applications have been developed to assess or enhance bioavailability of organicpollutants, the choice of cyclodextrin (CD) is largely empirical, with little consideration of pollutant diversity and environmental matrix effects. This study aimed at developing a mathematical model for quantifying CD alteration of bioavailability of organicpollutants. Cyclodextrin appears to have multiple effects, together contributing to its bioavailability-enhancing property. Cyclodextrin is adsorbed onto the adsorbent matrix to different extents. The adsorbed CD is capable of sequestrating organicpollutants, highlighting the role of a pseudophase similar to solid environmental matrix. Aqueous CD can reduce adsorption of organicpollutants via inclusion complexation. The two effects cancel each other to a certain degree, which determines the levels of organicpollutants dissolved (comprising freely dissolved and CD-included forms). Additionally, the CD-included form is nearly identical in biological activity to the free form. A mathematical model of one variable (i.e., CD concentration) was derived to quantify effects of CD on the bioavailability of organicpollutants. Model analysis indicates that alteration of bioavailability of organicpollutants by CD depends on both CD (type and level) and environmental matrix. The selection of CD type and amendment level for a given application may be predicted by the model.

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... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Organizationpattern... ORGANIZATION Introduction § 701.5 Organizationpattern. (a) The Office of the Water Resources Council is... Council Staff headed by a Director, and Field Organizations within its jurisdiction. (b) The...

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Environmental contaminants such as persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are man-made bioaccumulative compounds with long half-lives that are found throughout the world as a result of heavy use in a variety of consumer products during the twentieth century. Wildlife and animal studies have long suggested adverse effects of exposure to these compounds on human reproductive health, which, according to the endocrine disrupter hypothesis, are ascribed to the compounds’ potential to interfere with endocrine signaling, especially when exposure occurs during certain phases of fetal and childhood development. An extensive number of epidemiological studies have addressed the possible effects of exposure to POPs on male reproductive health, but the results are conflicting. Thus far, most studies have focused on investigating exposure and the different reproductive health outcomes during adulthood. Some studies have addressed the potential harmful effects of fetal exposure with respect to malformations at birth and/or reproductive development, whereas only a few studies have been able to evaluate whether intrauterine exposure to POPs has long-term consequences for male reproductive health with measurable effects on semen quality markers and reproductive hormone levels in adulthood. Humans are not exposed to a single compound at a time, but rather, to a variety of different substances with potential divergent hormonal effects. Hence, how to best analyze epidemiological data on combined exposures remains a significant challenge. This review on POPs will focus on current knowledge regarding the potential effects of exposure to POPs during fetal and childhood life and during adulthood on male reproductive health, including a critical revision of the endocrine disruption hypothesis, a comment on pubertal development as part of reproductive development and a comment on how to account for combined exposures in epidemiological research. PMID:24369135

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Organizationpattern. 701.5 Section 701.5 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COUNCIL ORGANIZATION Introduction § 701.5 Organizationpattern. (a) The Office of the Water Resources Council is...

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Organizationpattern. 701.5 Section 701.5 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COUNCIL ORGANIZATION Introduction § 701.5 Organizationpattern. (a) The Office of the Water Resources Council is...

Many routine methods for monitoring of trace amounts of atmospheric organicpollutants consist of several steps. Typical steps are: (1) collection of the air sample; (2) trapping of organics from the sample; (3) extraction of the trapped organics; and (4) identification of the organics in the extract by GC (gas chromatography), HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), or MS (Mass Spectrometry). These methods are often cumbersome and time consuming. A simple and fast method for monitoring atmospheric organics using an IMS (Ion Mobility Spectrometer) is proposed. This method has a short sampling time and does not require extraction of the organics since the sample is placed directly in the IMS. The purpose of this study was to determine the responses in the IMS to organic 'priority pollutants'. Priority pollutants including representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, phenols, chlorinated pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) were analyzed in both the positive and negative detection mode at ambient atmospheric pressure. Detection mode and amount detected are presented.

The wax covering of pine needles was examined for selected persistent organicpollutants known to be transported globally via the atmosphere. Several years of needles from the Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) from southern through northern Europe were differentiated and used to determine the time trends of DDT, HCB, HCH, PCP and PCB residues. Methods of collecting, processing and analyzing were investigated and the possibility of using area as a means of expressing results explored. Patterns of accumulation observed were those expected of globally distributed chemicals and local pollutants with an underlying global contribution; PCP was an ambiguous case. PCBs could not be clearly determined due to analytical problems with this matrix. Sampling factors such as facing direction of sample trees and number of sampled trees did not affect the results; there was some indication that height-above-ground was a factor. Levels of analytes observed in the needle wax of the samples were: a-HCH, 0.06--8.2; lindane, 0.07--17.8; HCB, 0.05--2.4; p,p{prime}-DDT, 0.14--1.9; p,p{prime}-DDE, 0.03--0.8; PCP, 0.6--7.3. PCB values were ambiguous largely due to a high number of negative peaks found in the g.c. chromatograms; a possible solution to this difficulty will be discussed.

Persistent organicpollutants and mercury are likely to bioaccumulate in biological components of the environment, including fish and wildlife. The complex and long-term dynamics involved with bioaccumulation are often represented with models. Current scientific developments in t...

Persistent organicpollutants and mercury are likely to bioaccumulate in biological components of the environment, including fish and wildlife. The complex and long-term dynamics involved with bioaccumulation are often represented with models. Current scientific developments in t...

Early warning of pollution incidents caused by persistent organicpollutants (POPs) is urgently needed for China in the circumstances of serious POPs pollution and in increasing demand for improvement in chemical risk management. Given different categories of POPs and pollution incidents, the index system for early warning of POPs pollution accidents was built based on lifecycle theory and POPs formation mechanisms. It will be helpful for decision makers to enhance the early warning management of POPs pollution incidents in China. The index system for early warning includes two parts, early warning and mechanism for system operation. The indices include risk source indicators, warning indicators and warning level indicators. To ensure the effective implementation of this system, the mechanisms for response and policy guarantee were also formulated. These mechanisms contain dynamic inventory management and periodical assessment of risk sources, timely and effective report of warning conditions, as well as coordination and cooperation among the relevant departments.

Rapid diagnosis of pollution is one of the key tasks in the field of ecological monitoring of natural and technogeneous environment. One of the promising methods of fluorescent diagnosis of organicpollution of water environment is the registration and analysis of two-dimensional Spectral Fluorescent Signatures (SFS). The neural networks - based system suggested in this paper is intended for solving the problem of detection, identification, and concentration measurement of water environmental pollution. The suggested system uses SFS as input pattern and allows one to build a rapid diagnosis system for ecological monitoring.

To study runoff and non-point source pollution of paddy fields and to provide a scientific basis for agricultural water management of paddy fields, paddy plots in the Jintan City and the Liyang City were chosen for experiments on non-point source pollution, and flood irrigation and intermittent irrigation patterns were adopted in this research. The surface water level and rainfall were observed during the growing season of paddies, and the runoff amount from paddy plots and loads of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were calculated by different methods. The results showed that only five rain events of totally 27 rainfalls and one artificially drainage formed non-point source pollution from flood irrigated paddy plot, which resulted in a TN export coefficient of 49.4 kg · hm⁻² and a TP export coefficient of 1.0 kg · hm⁻². No any runoff event occurred from the paddy plot with intermittent irrigation even in the case of maximum rainfall of 95.1 mm. Runoff from paddy fields was affected by water demands of paddies and irrigation or drainage management, which was directly correlated to surface water level, rainfall amount and the lowest ridge height of outlets. Compared with the flood irrigation, intermittent irrigation could significantly reduce non-point source pollution caused by rainfall or artificial drainage.

Organicpollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in agricultural fertilizers are new problem deserved more study. Eight kinds of organicpollutants including 43 compounds classified as US EPA priority pollutants in twenty one agricultural fertilizers which were universally used in China were determined by Gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS). Three kinds of organicpollutants including more than 5 compounds were detected in most fertilizers, composing mainly of phthalic acid esters (PAEs), nitrobenzenes (NBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). There were 26 compounds detected in at least one fertilizer, five of them especially PAEs detected in most fertilizer and even in all fertilizers. Benzo(a)pyrene, a strongly carcinogenic compound was detected in two fertilizers. Higher concentrations of compounds were determined in those fertilizers such as multifunction compound fertilizers and coated fertilizers.

This review covers selected 2015 articles on the biological effects of pollutants and human physical disturbances on marine and estuarine plants, animals, ecosystems and habitats. The review, based largely on journal articles, covers field and laboratory measurement activities (bioaccumulation of contaminants, field assessment surveys, toxicity testing and biomarkers) as well as pollution issues of current interest including endocrine disrupters, emerging contaminants, wastewater discharges, dredging and disposal, etc. Special emphasis is placed on effects of oil spills and marine debris due largely to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Several topical areas reviewed in the past (ballast water and ocean acidification) were dropped this year. The focus of this review is on effects, not pollutant fate and transport. There is considerable overlap across subject areas (e.g.some bioaccumulation papers may be cited in other topical categories). Please use keyword searching of the text to locate related but distributed papers. Use this review only as a guide and please consult the original papers before citing them.

This review covers selected 2015 articles on the biological effects of pollutants and human physical disturbances on marine and estuarine plants, animals, ecosystems and habitats. The review, based largely on journal articles, covers field and laboratory measurement activities (bioaccumulation of contaminants, field assessment surveys, toxicity testing and biomarkers) as well as pollution issues of current interest including endocrine disrupters, emerging contaminants, wastewater discharges, dredging and disposal, etc. Special emphasis is placed on effects of oil spills and marine debris due largely to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Several topical areas reviewed in the past (ballast water and ocean acidification) were dropped this year. The focus of this review is on effects, not pollutant fate and transport. There is considerable overlap across subject areas (e.g.some bioaccumulation papers may be cited in other topical categories). Please use keyword searching of the text to locate related but distributed papers. Use this review only as a guide and please consult the original papers before citing them.

This review covers selected 2014 articles on the biological effects of pollutants and human physical disturbances on marine and estuarine plants, animals, ecosystems and habitats. The review, based largely on journal articles, covers field and laboratory measurement activities (bioaccumulation of contaminants, field assessment surveys, toxicity testing and biomarkers) as well as pollution issues of current interest including endocrine disrupters, emerging contaminants, wastewater discharges, dredging and disposal, etc. Special emphasis is placed on effects of oil spills and marine debris due in part to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Several topical areas reviewed in the past (ballast water and ocean acidification) were dropped this year. The focus of this review is on effects, not pollutant fate and transport. There is considerable overlap across subject areas (e.g.some bioaccumulation papers may be cited in other topical categories). Please use keyword searching of the text to locate related but distributed papers. Use this review only as a guide and please consult the original papers before citing them.

Arctic snow and ice play an important role as reactive media in the environment. A variety of species are photochemically generated from snow/ice, including carbonyl compounds, alkyl halides, molecular halogens, and nitrogen oxides. However, the fate of anthropogenic organicpollutants in snow and ice is largely unknown. Volatile pollutants evaporate from lower, warmer latitudes and condense out in the higher, colder latitudes by a process known as global distillation, leading to enhanced concentrations of a variety of pollutants in polar regions. Here we present recent results of photochemical degradation studies of several important organicpollutants including aldrin, dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene, and 3,3',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl. Direct and indirect (with H2O2) pathways were studied in both liquid water and ice forms. Aldrin and 3,3',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl have shown the most reactivity, both degrading significantly via the direct and indirect pathway in liquid water and ice. Dieldrin has shown reactivity under both direct and indirect liquid conditions, while HCB is only reactive under indirect liquid conditions. These results indicate that ice can serve as an important reactive surface for anthropogenic organicpollutants. Snow/ice photochemistry should be included in models of pollutant fate, but further studies are necessary to determine which pollutants are most affected by ice photochemistry under typical environmental conditions.

Suspended sediment samples from ˜30 locations along the Mississippi River and six of its major tributaries collected between 2002 and 2003 were found to contain high levels of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) such as toxaphene and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. We found that the loss of these pollutants from terrestrial source areas via rivers is insignificant compared to loss via volatilization into the atmosphere. Analysis of pollutants in a sediment core from Siskiwit lake on Isle Royale, a remote island in Lake Superior support the theory that PBDEs undergo long-range atmospheric transport from source areas to regions where they were never used. The congener pattern of PBDEs in the lake sediment suggests that multiple processes act to remove PBDEs from the atmosphere after they are volatilized. Atmospheric removal of PBDEs due to processes such as reactions with OH radical and photolysis were studied using a heated small-volume reaction chamber with online detection of reactants and products by mass spectrometry. Relative rate constants for the reaction of OH with 7 diphenyl ethers having 0 to 2 bromine substituents were determined. Photolysis decays measured for selected PBDE congeners in the gas-phase were substantial, indicating that their photolysis quantum yields are significant. Dibenzofuran production was observed when PBDE congeners containing ortho-bromines were photolyzed in helium. From estimates of removal rates of PBDEs from the lower troposphere, we find that wet and dry deposition account for greater than 95% of the removal of BDE-209, while photolysis accounts for about 90% of the removal of gas-phase congeners such as BDE-47. These results help explain the deposition patterns of PBDEs found in lake and river sediments and have important implications concerning the inclusion of photolysis as a fate process in multi-media models. Relative rate constants were also determined for the reaction of OH with acetone and 3

This paper reviews literature that reports investigations of residential ventilation and indoor air quality. Two important residential pollutant classes, volatile organic compounds and radon, are examined. A companion paper examines moisture and combustion pollutants. Control strategies recommended from the review include appropriate building design to prevent or limit the sources of the pollutants within the space, proper operation and maintenance to prevent adverse conditions from developing during the building's life and appropriate use of ventilation. The characteristics of these pollutant sources suggest that ventilation systems in residences should have several properties. They should have the extra capacity available to reduce short bursts of pollution, be located close to the expected source of the contamination, and be inexpensive. Mitigation of radon is technically a major success using a form of task ventilation. Whole-house ventilation is, at best, a secondary form of control of excess radon in residences.

This guide to organization and decision making patterns in a Teacher Corps project is in the form of a workbook. It contains several forms and worksheets to be completed. There is a discussion of decision making patterns and a review of decision making skills. It is stated that to make good decisions, one needs skills to (1) identify the persons…

Ocean-scale monitoring of pollution is challenging. Seabirds are useful indicators because they travel over a broad foraging range. Nevertheless, this coarse spatial resolution is not fine enough to discriminate pollution in a finer scale. Previous studies have demonstrated that pollution levels are higher in the Sea of Japan and South and East China Seas than the Northen Pacific Ocean. To test these findings in a wide-ranging animal, we tracked streaked shearwaters (Calonectris leucomelas) from four islands in Japan using global positioning system (GPS) and measured persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in the oil of their preen glands. The POPs did not change during 6 to 21 days when birds from Awashima were foraging only in the Sea of Japan, while it increased when they crossed to the Pacific through the Tsugaru Strait and foraged along the eastern coast of Hokkaido where industrial cities occur. These results indicate that POPs in the oil reflect relatively short-term exposure. Concentrations of POPs displayed greater variation among regions. Total polychlorinated biphenyls were highest in birds foraging in a small area of the semiclosed Seto Inland Sea surrounded by urbanized coast, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was highest in birds foraging in the East China Sea, and total hexachlorocyclohexanes were highest in birds foraging in the Sea of Japan. All were lowest in birds foraging in the Pacific. This distribution of POPs concentration partly agrees with previous findings based on mussels, fish, and seawater and possibly reflects the mobility and emission sources of each type of POP. These results highlight the importance of information on the foraging area of highly mobile top predators to make them more effective monitors of regional marine pollution.

Included in this directory are 204 national organizations, agencies, institutes, and/or private groups concerned with the reduction or prevention of land pollution. Arranged in alphabetical order, each annotation gives the complete name of the organization, its address, telephone number, person to contact, and a short description of the scope of…

Included in this directory are 133 national organizations, agencies, institutes and/or private groups concerned with the reduction or prevention of land pollution. Arranged in alphabetical order, each annotation gives the complete name of the organization, its address, telephone number, person to contact, and a short description of the scope of…

The soil has always been depository of the organic chemicals produced naturally or anthropogenically. Soil contamination is a serious human and environmental problem. A large body of evidence has shown the risks of adverse health effects with the exposure to contaminated soil due to the large quantities of organic chemicals used in agriculture and urban areas that have a legacy of environmental pollution linked to industrial activities, coal burning, motor vehicle emissions, waste incineration and waste dumping. In agricultural areas, because of the effort to provide adequate quantities of agricultural products, farmers have been using an increasing amount of organic chemicals, but the resulting pollution has enormous potential for environmental damage. The types of organicpollutants commonly found in soils are polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides, herbicides and organic fuels, especially gasoline and diesel. Another source of soil pollution is the complex mixture of organic chemicals, metals and microorganisms in the effluent from septic systems, animal wastes and other sources of biowaste. The soils of the world are a vast mixture of chemicals and although conditions are such that an individual is rarely exposed to a single compound, the great majority of people are exposed to a vast chemical mixture of organics, their metabolites, and other compounds at low concentrations Human exposure to organicpollutants in the soil is an area of toxicology that is very difficult to study due to the low concentration of the pollutants. The toxicological studies of single organicpollutants found in soils are limited and research on the metabolites and of chemical mixtures is very limited. The majority of toxicological studies are conducted at relatively high doses and for short periods of exposure. This makes the application of this data to exposure

The frozen surfaces of polar regions are highly reactive. The Arctic snowpack has been shown to play an important role in processing atmospheric species such as mercury, molecular halogens, organics and ozone. Several recent studies have demonstrated photochemical transformations of anthropogenic organic contaminants in ice. Unfortunately, information on transformations of organic contaminants in snow and ice is currently limited. It is important to gain a better understanding of the photochemical processes that occur, as well as identify the products of degradation, in order to assess the possible ecosystem-wide implications of pollutant degradation (i.e. generation of products more toxic than the original pollutant). With a better grasp of the photochemical processes of anthropogenic organicpollutants, an improved understanding of their effects on the environment can be obtained. In our research, we investigated both direct and indirect photodegradation of several persistent organicpollutants of concern to the Arctic environment, including aldrin, dieldrin, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene. Reactivity in both ice and liquid samples was assessed. We found selective degradation in the samples, with some of the pollutants exhibiting greater degradation in liquid samples, while others showed greater degradation in the ice samples. The methods and results of these experiments will be discussed.

The effect of environmental pollutants on honeybee behaviour has focused mainly on currently used pesticides. However, honeybees are also exposed to persistent organicpollutants (POPs). The aim of this laboratory based study was to determine if exposure to sublethal field-relevant concentrations of POPs altered the spontaneous behaviour of foraging-age worker honeybees. Honeybees (Apis mellifera) were orally exposed to either a sublethal concentration of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1254 (100 ng/ml), the organochlorine insecticide lindane (2.91 ng/ml) or vehicle (0.01% DMSO, 0.00015% ethanol in 1M sucrose) for 1-4 days. The frequency of single event behaviours and the time engaged in one of four behavioural states (walking, flying, upside down and stationary) were monitored for 15 min after 1, 2, 3 and 4 days exposure. Exposure to Aroclor 1254 but not lindane increased the frequency and time engaged in honeybee motor activity behaviours in comparison to vehicle. The Aroclor 1254-induced hyperactivity was evident after 1 day of exposure and persisted with repeated daily exposure. In contrast, 1 day of exposure to lindane elicited abdominal spasms and increased the frequency of grooming behaviours in comparison to vehicle exposure. After 4 days of exposure, abdominal spasms and increased grooming behaviours were also evident in honeybees exposed to Aroclor 1254. These data demonstrate that POPs can induce distinct behavioural patterns, indicating different toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic properties. The changes in spontaneous behaviour, particularly the PCB-induced chronic hyperactivity and the associated energy demands, may have implications for colony health.

An urban community PM10 (particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter) air pollution study was conducted in Paterson, NJ, a mixed land-use community that is interspersed with industrial, commercial, mobile, and residential land-use types. This paper examines (1) the spatial/temporal variation of PM10, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and nine elements; and (2) the impact of land-use type on those variations. Air samples were collected from three community-oriented locations in Paterson that attempted to capture industrial, commercial, and mobile source-dominated emissions. Sampling was conducted for 24 hr every 6 days from November 2005 through December 2006. Samples were concurrently collected at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection-designated air toxics background site in Chester, NJ. PM10 mass, EC, OC, and nine elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, S, Ti, and Zn) that had more than 50% of samples above detection and known sources or are toxic were selected for spatial/temporal analysis in this study. The concentrations of PM10, EC, OC, and eight elements (except S) were significantly higher in Paterson than in Chester (P < 0.05). The concentrations of these elements measured in Paterson were also found to be higher during winter than the other three seasons (except S), and higher on weekdays than on weekends (except Pb). The concentrations of EC, Cu, Fe, and Zn at the commercial site in Paterson were significantly higher than the industrial and mobile sites; however, the other eight species were not significantly different within the city (P > 0.05). These results indicated that anthropogenic sources of air pollution were present in Paterson. The source apportionment confirmed the impact of vehicular and industrial emissions on the PM10 ambient air pollution in Paterson. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that categorical land-use type was a significant predictor for all air pollution levels, explaining up to 42% of

An urban community PM10 (particulate matter < or = 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter) air pollution study was conducted in Paterson, NJ, a mixed land-use community that is interspersed with industrial, commercial, mobile, and residential land-use types. This paper examines (1) the spatial/temporal variation of PM10, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and nine elements; and (2) the impact of land-use type on those variations. Air samples were collected from three community-oriented locations in Paterson that attempted to capture industrial, commercial, and mobile source-dominated emissions. Sampling was conducted for 24 hr every 6 days from November 2005 through December 2006. Samples were concurrently collected at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection-designated air toxics background site in Chester, NJ. PM10 mass, EC, OC, and nine elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, S, Ti, and Zn) that had more than 50% of samples above detection and known sources or are toxic were selected for spatial/temporal analysis in this study. The concentrations of PM10, EC, OC, and eight elements (except S) were significantly higher in Paterson than in Chester (P < 0.05). The concentrations of these elements measured in Paterson were also found to be higher during winter than the other three seasons (except S), and higher on weekdays than on weekends (except Pb). The concentrations of EC, Cu, Fe, and Zn at the commercial site in Paterson were significantly higher than the industrial and mobile sites; however, the other eight species were not significantly different within the city (P > 0.05). These results indicated that anthropogenic sources of air pollution were present in Paterson. The source apportionment confirmed the impact of vehicular and industrial emissions on the PM10 ambient air pollution in Paterson. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that categorical land-use type was a significant predictor for all air pollution levels, explaining up to 42

The aim of this study was to investigate qualitatively the emission of toxic organicpollutants from an unventilated conventional kerosene space heater commonly used in Iran. A brand new common convective kerosene space heater, the "Aladdin," was used for this study. The well-tuned convective heater was operated in a 2.6-m(3) test chamber and then the emission was tested for organicpollutants. The emission was collected on Teflon-impregnated glass-fiber filters and XAD-2 resin and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. It was found that in addition to the ordinary pollutant gases, the heater emits aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the related nitrated compounds, phthalates, naphthalenes, and some other toxic organic compounds. However, it was found that the heater did not emit fluoranthene, cyclohexane, benzoic acid, and higher-molecular-weight alkylbenzenes, which could have resulted from the combustion of some other types of kerosene.

Hazardous organicpollutants represent a threat to human, animal, and environmental health. If left unmanaged, these pollutants could cause concern. Many researchers have stepped up efforts to find more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to using hazardous chemicals and treatments to remove existing harmful pollutants. Environmental biotechnology, such as bioremediation and phytoremediation, is a promising field that utilizes natural resources including microbes and plants to eliminate toxic organic contaminants. This technology offers an attractive alternative to other conventional remediation processes because of its relatively low cost and environmentally-friendly method. This review discusses current biological technologies for the removal of organic contaminants, including chlorinated hydrocarbons, focusing on their limitation and recent efforts to correct the drawbacks.

The electrochemical treatment of effluents with conventional anodic materials is not very efficient in terms of organicpollutant oxidation and produces a large amount of oxygen. These results can be enhanced by mediated oxidation that produces stronger oxidants than oxygen which oxidize the organicpollutants. New electrode materials like, boron-doped diamond (BDD) shows a high selectivity toward organicpollutants and the oxygen is not easily produced. Consequently the contribution of mediated oxidation cannot be excluded, but probably occurs in a different way. This chapter re-examines at the light of the present knowledge the mediated oxidation with the BDD anode, tests the used mediated oxidation method, and proposes an alternative method to increase the positive contribution of this oxidation during electrochemical treatment with BDD anodes.

An experimental investigation was carried out in the area of heterogeneous catalysis using TiO2 as a catalyst for the removal of the model organic compounds (benzoic acid and phenol) in three different photocatalytic reactors. Natural and artificial UV source of radiation were used and the performance of the reactors were studied in the present investigation. The extent of degradation/removal of the organic compounds was found by varying the initial concentration, flow rate, pipe diameter, TiO2 concentration and exposure time.

Congeners are molecules based on the same carbon skeleton but different by the number of substituents and/or a substitution pattern. Various Persistent OrganicPollutants (POPs) exist in the environment as families of halogen substituted congeners and/or their hydroxyl and methoxy substituted derivatives. Numbers of possible congeners resulting from substitution of a parent POP molecule with only one type of chemical group are generally available. At the same time, numbers of mixed-substituent congeners have not been counted and presented yet, although there is an increasing interest in such as is the increasing number of research articles presenting results on already identified Cl-/Br-mixed type congeners and/or their HO-/CH(3)O-mixed metabolites. We have enumerated and counted possible mixed-substituent congeners of common POPs. This article presents the obtained numbers for congener families of benzene, naphthalene, biphenyl, diphenyl ether, dibenzo-p-dioxin, dibenzofuran, anthracene, pyrene and others and obtained by substitution of up to five chemical group types.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and other organicpollutants from industrial wastewater have drawn increasing concern in the past decades regarding their environmental and biological risks, and hence developing strategies of effective degradation of BPA and other organicpollutants is imperative. Metal oxide nanostructures, in particular titanium oxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO), have been demonstrated to exhibit efficient photodegradation of various common organic dyes. ZnO tetrapods are of special interest due to their low density of native defects which consequently lead to lower recombination losses and higher photocatalytic efficiency. Tetrapods can be obtained by relatively simple and low-cost vapor phase deposition in large quantity; the micron-scale size would also be advantageous for catalyst recovery. In this study, the photodegradation of BPA with ZnO tetrapods and TiO2 nanostructures under UV illumination were compared. The concentration of BPA dissolved in DI water was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at specified time intervals. It was observed that the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO tetrapods eventually surpassed Degussa P25 in free-standing form, and more than 80% of BPA was degraded after 60 min. Photodegradation of other organic dye pollutants by tetrapods and P25 were also examined. The superior photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO tetrapods for degradation of BPA and other organic dye pollutants and its correlation with the material properties were discussed.

Human organ, as the basic structural and functional unit in human body, is made of a large community of different cell types that organically bound together. Each organ usually exerts highly specified physiological function; while several related organs work smartly together to perform complicated body functions. In this study, we present a computational effort to understand the roles of genes in building functional connection between organs. More specifically, we mined multiple transcriptome datasets sampled from 36 human organs and tissues, and quantitatively identified 3,149 genes whose expressions showed consensus modularly patterns: specific to one organ/tissue, selectively expressed in several functionally related tissues and ubiquitously expressed. These pattern genes imply intrinsic connections between organs. According to the expression abundance of the 766 selective genes, we consistently cluster the 36 human organs/tissues into seven functional groups: adipose & gland, brain, muscle, immune, metabolism, mucoid and nerve conduction. The organs and tissues in each group either work together to form organ systems or coordinate to perform particular body functions. The particular roles of specific genes and selective genes suggest that they could not only be used to mechanistically explore organ functions, but also be designed for selective biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Human organ, as the basic structural and functional unit in human body, is made of a large community of different cell types that organically bound together. Each organ usually exerts highly specified physiological function; while several related organs work smartly together to perform complicated body functions. In this study, we present a computational effort to understand the roles of genes in building functional connection between organs. More specifically, we mined multiple transcriptome datasets sampled from 36 human organs and tissues, and quantitatively identified 3,149 genes whose expressions showed consensus modularly patterns: specific to one organ/tissue, selectively expressed in several functionally related tissues and ubiquitously expressed. These pattern genes imply intrinsic connections between organs. According to the expression abundance of the 766 selective genes, we consistently cluster the 36 human organs/tissues into seven functional groups: adipose &gland, brain, muscle, immune, metabolism, mucoid and nerve conduction. The organs and tissues in each group either work together to form organ systems or coordinate to perform particular body functions. The particular roles of specific genes and selective genes suggest that they could not only be used to mechanistically explore organ functions, but also be designed for selective biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

This study examined the spatial, socioeconomic status (SES), and temporal patterns of ambient air pollution in Accra, Ghana. Over 22 months, integrated and continuous rooftop particulate matter (PM) monitors were placed at a total of 11 residential or roadside monitoring sites in four neighborhoods of varying SES and biomass fuel use. PM concentrations were highest in late December and January, due to dust blown from the Sahara. Excluding this period, annual PM(2.5) ranged from 39 to 53 microg/m(3) at roadside sites and 30 to 70 microg/m(3) at residential sites; mean annual PM(10) ranged from 80 to 108 microg/m(3) at roadside sites and 57 to 106 microg/m(3) at residential sites. The low-income and densely populated neighborhood of Jamestown/Ushertown had the single highest residential PM concentration. There was less difference across traffic sites. Daily PM increased at all sites at daybreak, followed by a mid-day peak at some sites, and a more spread-out evening peak at all sites. Average carbon monoxide concentrations at different sites and seasons ranged from 7 to 55 ppm, and were generally lower at residential sites than at traffic sites. The results show that PM in these four neighborhoods is substantially higher than the WHO Air Quality Guidelines and in some cases even higher than the WHO Interim Target 1, with the highest pollution in the poorest neighborhood.

Megacities around the world show distinctly different emission patterns in terms of absolute amounts and emission ratios of individual chemical compounds due to varying socio-economic developments and technological standards. The emission patterns influence the chemical reactivity of the urban pollution plume, and hence determine air quality in and around megacity areas. In this study, which is part of the European project CITYZEN (megaCITY - Zoom for the ENvironment), the effects of emission changes in four selected megacity areas on air pollution were investigated: BeNeLux (BNL), Istanbul (IST), Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Sao Paulo (SAP). The study aims at answering the question: how would air pollution in megacity X change if it had the same urban emissions per capita as megacity Y? Model simulations with the global chemistry climate model ECHAM5-MOZ were carried out for the year 2001 using a resolution of about 2 degrees in the horizontal and of 31 levels (surface to 10 hPa) in the vertical. The model was driven by meteorological input data from the ECMWF ERA Interim reanalysis. Emissions were taken from the gridded global ACCMIP emission inventory recently established for use in chemistry-climate simulations in connection to the IPCC-AR5 assessments (Lamarque et al. 2010). We carried out sensitivity simulations where emission patterns from each of the megacity areas were replaced by those from all others. This was done on the basis of the per capita emissions for each species and sector averaged over the respective region. Total per capita CO and NMVOC emissions are highest in PRD and lowest in SAP while total per capita NOx emissions are highest in BNL and lowest in SAP. There are strong differences in the relative contribution of the urban sectors to total emissions of individual compounds. As a result, each of the four megacity areas exhibits a very characteristic NMVOC speciation profile which determines the NMVOC-related photochemical ozone (O_3

Increased number of premature (abnormal) ventricular beats in a record of heartbeat intervals are known to be associated with an advanced stage of pathology (e.g. congestive heart failure). These abnormal beats usually occur in repeated bursts for relatively short periods of time. Here we ask the question if particular abnormal patterns appear throughout records of heartbeat intervals. We study the temporal organization of specific patterns of ventricular beats in long 24 hour records and their relation to different stages of disease. We analyze the statistical properties of such patterns and combination of patterns by means of crosscorrelation matrices.

This book chapter reviews the literature published over the past five years with regard to the concentrations of historic and newly-listed persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in foods. The chemical classes selected for this review include historic POPs (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and DDT) ...

Many trace gases are increasing in the earth's armosphere and may couase global environmental changes in the future. Consequently there has been growing interest in the cycles of the long-lived gases that are likely to contribute the most to global change. At present there are four such gases: methane (CH{sub 4}), nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}0), trichlorofluoromethane (CCl{sub 3}F,F-11), and dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl{sub 2}F{sub 2},F-12). Methane and N{sub 2}O are involved mostly in adding to the greenhouse effect with some role in the stratospheric ozone cycle, and the two main fluorocarbons (F-11 and F-12) are involved in the depletion of the ozone layer with some role in global warming. This paper is about the patterns of these trace gases near regions of global scale pollution. Our purpose is to provide a synthesis of observations from diverse environments and ecosystems of the world and to provide readers with intuitive connections between sources and concentrations. We will consider four types of regions: rice fields in CHina that are a major source of methane, urban areas of the United States and China that are sources of fluorocarbons and other gases, rivers and surrounding wetlands, specifically the Yangtze in China and the Amazon in Brazil, and finally the environment of Boola Boola National Forest in Australia populated by many speices of termites that are a source of methane to the atmosphere. Eventually these patterns can be translated into estimeates of fluxes from the various sources of global pollution.

In this paper, we demonstrate the calculation of personal air pollution exposure during trips made by active transportation using activity patterns without personal monitors. We calculate exposure as the inhaled dose of particulate matter 2.5 μg or smaller. Two modes of active transportation are compared, and they include cycling and walking. Ambient conditions are calculated by combining mobile and stationary monitoring data in an artificial neural network space-time model. The model uses a land use regression framework and has a prediction accuracy of R2 = 0.78. Exposure is calculated at 10 m or shorter intervals during the trips using inhalation rates associated with both modes. The trips are children's routes between home and school. The average dose during morning cycling trips was 2.17 μg, during morning walking trips was 3.19 μg, during afternoon cycling trips was 2.19 μg and during afternoon walking trips was 3.23 μg. The cycling trip dose was significantly lower than the walking trip dose. The air pollution exposure during walking or cycling trips could not be strongly predicted by either the school or household ambient conditions, either individually or in combination. Multiple linear regression models regressing both the household and school ambient conditions against the dose were only able to account for, at most, six percent of the variance in the exposure. This paper demonstrates that incorporating activity patterns when calculating exposure can improve the estimate of exposure compared to its calculation from ambient conditions.

Due to human activities to a greater extent and natural processes to some extent, a large number of organic chemical substances such as petroleum hydrocarbons, halogenated and nitroaromatic compounds, phthalate esters, solvents and pesticides pollute the soil and aquatic environments. Remediation of these polluted sites following the conventional engineering approaches based on physicochemical methods is both technically and economically challenging. Bioremediation that involves the capabilities of microorganisms in the removal of pollutants is the most promising, relatively efficient and cost-effective technology. However, the current bioremediation approaches suffer from a number of limitations which include the poor capabilities of microbial communities in the field, lesser bioavailability of contaminants on spatial and temporal scales, and absence of bench-mark values for efficacy testing of bioremediation for their widespread application in the field. The restoration of all natural functions of some polluted soils remains impractical and, hence, the application of the principle of function-directed remediation may be sufficient to minimize the risks of persistence and spreading of pollutants. This review selectively examines and provides a critical view on the knowledge gaps and limitations in field application strategies, approaches such as composting, electrobioremediation and microbe-assisted phytoremediation, and the use of probes and assays for monitoring and testing the efficacy of bioremediation of polluted sites.

Rising demand of meat boosts livestock farming intensification. Due to international meat trade, the environmental costs of production are becoming increasingly separated from where the meat is consumed. However, little is known about the impact of trade on the environment for both importers and exporters. Combining multi-scale (national, regional and gridded) data, we present a new method to quantify the impacts of international meat trade on global river organicpollution. We computed spatially distributed organicpollution in global river networks with and without meat trade, where the without-trade scenario assumes that meat imports are replaced by local production. Our analysis indicates high potential savings of livestock population and pollutants production at the global scale due to the international meat trade. The spatially detailed analysis shows that current trade contributes to organicpollution reductions in meat importing regions, especially in rich nations. The deterioration of river water quality, especially in developing regions, points to an urgent need for affordable infrastructure and technology development and wastewater solutions.

The presence of highly urbanized and polluted areas affects both the quantity and the composition of organic matter in rivers through effluent loads and urban runoff discharges in watersheds. In such context, this paper aims to evaluate the biodegradability of anthropogenic organic matter in polluted rivers. Stream water samples were collected in three different sites considering a non-impacted area, a highly urbanized site located after a sewage treatment plant, and a site downstream of the watershed. For the biodegradation experiment, two adaptations of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) essay were evaluated to assess the decomposition rates between 10 days, with added nutrients, in the dark at 20 °C. The organic matter biodegradation was monitored by distinct parameters such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM), and UV absorbance measurements. The measured BDOC ranged from 0.8 mg/L at site IG01 (low anthropogenic occupation) to 4.2 mg/L at site IG02 (high impacted area), with averaged percentage of initial DOC ranging from 20 to 56 %, while an average of 28 % up to 95 % of POC can be considered as biodegradable. This pattern of biodegradation of fluorescent components was also observed through a decrease of tryptophan-like and tyrosine-like fluorescence peak intensity during the incubation time. The results also showed a higher decrease of humic-like fluorescence peak intensity at polluted sites (IG02 and IG05). Our experimental approach and monitoring strategy suggests that the evaluation of the organic matter biodegradability is essential to understand the fate and transformation mechanism of organic matter in urbanized and polluted rivers. And, considering a water quality planning and management perspective, this approach is important to identify the presence and location of organic compounds potentially important for dissolved oxygen

As nanomaterials become an increasing part of everyday consumer products, it is imperative to monitor their potential release during production, use and disposal, and to assess their impact on the health of humans and the ecosystem. This necessitates research to better understand how the properties of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) lead to their accumulation and redistribution in the environment, and to assess whether they could become novel pollutants or if they can affect the mobility and bioavailability of other toxins. This study focuses on understanding the influence of nanostructured-TiO2 and the interaction of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with organicpollutants in water. We studied the adsorption and water phase dispersion of model pollutants with relatively small water solubility (i.e., two- and three-ring polyaromatic hydrocarbons and insecticides) with respect to ENMs. The sorption of pollutants was measured based on water phase analysis, and by separating suspended particles from the water phase and analyzing dried samples using integrated thermal-chromatographic-mass spectroscopic (TGA/GC/MS) techniques. Solid phase analysis using a combination of TGA/GC/MS is a novel technique that can provide real-time quantitative analysis and which helps to understand the interaction of hydrophobic organicpollutants and ENMs. The adsorption of these contaminants to nanomaterials increased the concentration of the contaminants in the aqueous phase as compared to the ‘real’ partitioning due to the octanol-water partitioning. The study showed that ENMs can significantly influence the adsorption and dispersion of hydrophobic/low water soluble contaminants. The type of ENM, the exposure to light, and the water pH have a significant influence on the partitioning of pollutants.

Following recent rapid industrialization, China is now one of the largest producers and consumers of organic chemicals in the world. This is compounded by variable regulatory oversight with respect to storage, use and waste management of these chemicals and their byproducts. This review synthesizes the data on the distribution of selected persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in waters in China. Surface water heavily polluted with POPs is distributed in the Yangtze River Estuary, Pearl River Delta, Minjiang River Estuary, Jiulongjiang Estuary, Daya Bay, Taihu Lake, and the waterways of Zhejiang Province, where concentrations of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) frequently exceed both international and Chinese guideline values. These areas are mainly distributed along the southeast coast of China, within or downstream of major manufacturing districts, intensive agricultural basins, and other industrial centers. A comparison of the levels of OCPs in the aquatic environment of China with other indicative regions worldwide shows comparable levels of pollution (overall range from below detection limit (BDL) to 5104.8ng/L and regional means from 2.9-929.6ng/L). PAHs and PCBs pollution appear to be particularly serious in China (PAHs overall ranging from BDL to 474,000ng/L with regional means from 15.1-72,400ng/L; PCBs from BDL to 3161ng/L with regional means ranging from 0.2-985.2ng/L). There is as yet limited evidence of serious perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) pollution. We discuss major sources and processes responsible for high POP occurrence using a range of measures (including diagnostic ratios of different compounds), regulatory oversight and policy gaps in the control of POPs in China, and potential long-term health and ecological effects. We argue that water quality guidelines, pollution control measures and cleanup strategies for POPs in China should be

The North Sea is a highly productive area with large fish populations that have been extensively harvested over the past century. North Sea fisheries remain important to the surrounding countries despite declining fish stocks over the past decades. The main reason for declining fish stocks is nearly certainly overfishing, but other environmental pressures also affect fish populations, such as eutrophication, climate change, and exposure to metals and organicpollutants, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylphenols, and organochlorine compounds. There are three main sources of organicpollutants in the North Sea: atmospheric, land-based sources, and inputs from offshore gas and oil installations. All three sources contribute to elevated concentrations of organicpollutants in the North Sea compared to the Norwegian Sea. There is evidence that chlorinated organic contaminants were present in sufficiently high concentrations in the southern North Sea two decades ago, to alter embryonal development in fish. The results from extensive, long-term monitoring programs show that some diseases decreased whereas other increased in the southern North Sea and that, among other factors, contaminants may play a role in the temporal changes recorded in disease prevalence. Recent studies demonstrated that components in offshore effluents may affect fish reproduction and that tissues of fish near oil rigs are structurally different to tissues of fish from reference areas. Data on effluents from offshore activities have recently become available through an international workshop (BECPELAG) and follow-up studies.

Biochar derived from agricultural biomass waste is increasingly recognized as a multifunctional material for agricultural and environmental applications. Three novel magnetic biochars (MOP250, MOP400, MOP700) were prepared by chemical co-precipitation of Fe3+/Fe2+ on orange peel powder and subsequently pyrolyzing under different temperatures (250, 400 and 700 °C), which resulted in iron oxide magnetite formation and biochar preparation in one-step. The MOP400 was comprised of nano-size magnetite particles and amorphous biochar, and thus exhibited hybrid sorption capability to efficiently remove organicpollutants and phosphate from water. For organicpollutants, MOP400 demonstrated the highest sorption capability, and even much larger than the companion non-magnetic biochar (OP400). For phosphate, magnetic biochars, especially MOP250, demonstrated much higher sorption capability than the companion non-magnetic biochars. No significantly competitive effect between organicpollutant and phosphate was observed. These suggest that the magnetic biochar is a potential sorbent to remove organic contaminants and phosphate simultaneously from wastewater.

Vegetation patterns are a common and well-defined characteristic of many arid and semi-arid landscapes. In this study we explore some of the physical mechanisms responsible for the establishment of self-organized, non-random vegetation patterns that arise at the hillslope scale in many areas of the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In doing so we use a water and energy balance model and provide a fundamental mechanistic understanding of the dynamics of vegetation pattern formation and development. Within the modeling, reciprocal effects of vegetation on the hillslope energy balance, runoff production and run-on infiltration, root density, surface albedo and soil moisture content are analyzed. In particular, we: 1) present a physically based mechanistic description of the processes leading to vegetation pattern formation; 2) Compare simulated vegetation coverage at the hillslope scale with observations; 3) quantify the relative impact of pattern-inducing dynamics on pattern formation; and 4) describe the relationships between vegetation patterns and the climatic, hydraulic and topographic characteristic of the system. The model is validated by comparing hillslope-scale simulations with available observations for the areas of Niger near Niamey and Somalia near Garoowe, where respectively tiger bushes and banded vegetation patterns are present. The model validation includes comparison of simulated and observed vegetation coverage as well as simulated and measured water fluxes, showing both qualitative and quantitative agreement between simulations and observations. The analysis of the system suggests that the main driver of pattern establishment is climate, in terms of average annual precipitation and incoming solar radiation. In particular, decreasing precipitation or, conversely, increasing incoming radiation are responsible for the system departure from fully vegetated with indistinguishable vegetation structures to sparsely vegetated with (self-organized

Bioremediation holds the promise as a cost effective treatment technology for a wide variety of hazardous pollutants. In this study, the biodegradation of organic compounds discharged together with radioactive wastes is investigated. Nuclear process wastewater was simulated by a mixture of phenol and strontium, which is a major radionuclide found in radioactive wastewater. Phenol was used in the study as a model compound due to its simplicity of molecular structure. Moreover, the biodegradation pathway of phenol is well known. Biodegradation studies were conducted using pure cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida. The rate of phenol degradation by both species was found to be higher in the test without strontium. This suggests some degree of inhibition in the degradation of phenol by strontium. There was no phenol degradation in the sterile controls. The results indicate the feasibility of the biodegradation of organicpollutants discharged in radioactive effluents by specialised microbial cultures. (authors)

Biodegradation is increasingly being considered as a less expensive alternative to physical and chemical means of decomposing organicpollutants. Pathways of biodegradation have been characterized for a number of heterotrophic microorganisms, mostly soil isolates, some of which have been used for remediation of water. Because cyanobacteria are photoautotrophic and some can fix atmospheric nitrogen, their use for bioremediation of surface waters would circumvent the need to supply biodegradative heterotrophs with organic nutrients. This paper demonstrates that two filamentous cyanobacteria have a natural ability to degrade a highly chlorinated aliphatic pesticide, lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane); presents quantitative evidence that this ability can be enhanced by genetic engineering; and provides qualitative evidence that those two strains can be genetically engineered to degrade another chlorinated pollutant, 4-chlorobenzoate. PMID:7534052

Biodegradation is increasingly being considered as a less expensive alternative to physical and chemical means of decomposing organicpollutants. Pathways of biodegradation have been characterized for a number of heterotrophic microorganisms, mostly soil isolates, some of which have been used for remediation of water. Because cyanobacteria are photoautotrophic and some can fix atmospheric nitrogen, their use for bioremediation of surface waters would circumvent the need to supply biodegradative heterotrophs with organic nutrients. This paper demonstrates that two filamentous cyanobacteria have a natural ability to degrade a highly chlorinated aliphatic pesticide, lindane ({gamma}-hexachlorocyclohexane); presents quantitative evidence that this ability can be enhanced by genetic engineering; and provides qualitative evidence that those two strains can be genetically engineered to degrade another chlorinated pollutant, 4-chlorobenzoate. 42 refs., 3 figs.

Forty percent of hazardous waste sites in the United States are co-contaminated with organic and metal pollutants. Data from both aerobic and anaerobic systems demonstrate that biodegradation of the organic component can be reduced by metal toxicity. Metal bioavailability, determined primarily by medium composition/soil type and pH, governs the extent to which metals affect biodegradation. Failure to consider bioavailability rather than total metal likely accounts for much of the enormous variability among reports of inhibitory concentrations of metals. Metals appear to affect organic biodegradation through impacting both the physiology and ecology of organic degrading microorganisms. Recent approaches to increasing organic biodegradation in the presence of metals involve reduction of metal bioavailability and include the use of metal-resistant bacteria, treatment additives, and clay minerals. The addition of divalent cations and adjustment of pH are additional strategies currently under investigation. PMID:12826480

Reductive transformations are important processes for determining the fate of organicpollutants in anoxic environments. These processes are most often microbially mediated by both direct and indirect means. For example, specific bacteria transform organicpollutants directly as ...

Reductive transformations are important processes for determining the fate of organicpollutants in anoxic environments. These processes are most often microbially mediated by both direct and indirect means. For example, specific bacteria transform organicpollutants directly as ...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major and fast growing public health problem. Although obesity is considered to be the main driver of the pandemic of T2DM, a possible contribution of some environmental contaminants, of which persistent organicpollutants (POPs) form a particular class, has been suggested. POPs are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes which enable them to persist in the environment, to be capable of long-range transport, bio accumulate in human and animal tissue, bio accumulate in food chains, and to have potential significant impacts on human health and the environment. Several epidemiological studies have reported an association between persistent organicpollutants and diabetes risk. These findings have been replicated in experimental studies both in human (in-vitro) and animals (in-vivo and in-vitro), and patho-physiological derangements through which these pollutants exercise their harmful effect on diabetes risk postulated. This review summarizes available studies, emphasises on limitations so as to enable subsequent studies to be centralized on possible pathways and bring out clearly the role of POPs on diabetes risk.

Worldwide there are numerous contaminated sites as a result of the widespread production and use of chemicals in industrial and military activities as well as poor schemes of waste disposal and accidental spillages. The implementation of strategies for decontamination and restoration of polluted sites has become a priority, being bioremediation with biological agents a promising alternative. Enzyme-based technologies offer several advantages over the use of microbial cells, provided that the biocatalyst meets specific requirements: efficiency to remove the target pollutant/s, non-dependency on expensive coenzymes or cofactors, enzyme stability, and an affordable production system. In this mini-review, the direct application of enzymes for in situ soil bioremediation is explored, and also novel ex situ enzymatic technologies are presented. This new perspective provides a valuable insight into the different enzymatic alternatives for decontamination of soils. Examples of recent applications are reported, including pilot-scale treatments and patented technologies, and the principles of operation and the main requirements associated are described. Furthermore, the main challenges regarding the applicability of enzymatic technologies for remediation of hydrophobic organicpollutants from soil are discussed.

Macroecology examines the relationship between organisms and their environment at large spatial (and temporal) scales. Typically, macroecologists explain the large-scale patterns of abundance, distribution and diversity. Despite the difficulties in sampling and characterizing microbial diversity, macroecologists have recently also been interested in unicellular organisms. Here, I review the current advances made in microbial macroecology, as well as discuss related ecosystem functions. Overall, it seems that microorganisms suit surprisingly well to known species abundance distributions and show positive relationship between distribution and adundance. Microbial species-area and distance-decay relationships tend to be weaker than for macroorganisms, but nonetheless significant. Few findings on altitudinal gradients in unicellular taxa seem to differ greatly from corresponding findings for larger taxa, whereas latitudinal gradients among microorganisms have either been clearly evident or absent depending on the context. Literature also strongly emphasizes the role of spatial scale for the patterns of diversity and suggests that patterns are affected by species traits as well as ecosystem characteristics. Finally, I discuss the large role of local biotic and abiotic variables driving the community assembly in unicellular taxa and eventually dictating how multiple ecosystem processes are performed. Present review highlights the fact that most microorganisms may not differ fundamentally from larger taxa in their large-scale distribution patterns. Yet, review also shows that many aspects of microbial macroecology are still relatively poorly understood and specific patterns depend on focal taxa and ecosystem concerned.

In this paper, we concisely reviewed the contamination of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in human breast milk collected from Asian countries such as Japan, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia during 1999-2003. Dioxins, PCBs, CHLs in Japanese, and DDTs in Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, Malaysian, and HCHs in Chinese, Indian, and HCB in Chinese breast milk were predominant. In India, levels of dioxins and related compounds (DRCs) in the mothers living around the open dumping site were notably higher than those from the reference site and other Asian developing countries, indicating that significant pollution sources of DRCs are present in the dumping site of India and the residents there have been exposed to relatively higher levels of these contaminants possibly via bovine milk.

Coke plant wastewater (CPW) is an intractable chemical wastewater, and it contains many toxic pollutants. This article presents the results of research on a semi-industrial adsorption method of coking wastewater treatment. As a sorbent, the coking coal (CC) was a dozen times less expensive than active carbon. The treatment was conducted within two scenarios, as follows: (1) adsorption after biological treatment of CPW with CC at 40 g L(-1); the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was 75.66%, and the concentration was reduced from 178.99 to 43.56 mg L(-1); (2) given an adsorption by CC of 250 g L(-1) prior to the biological treatment of CPW, the eliminations of COD and phenol were 58.08% and 67.12%, respectively. The CC that adsorbed organicpollution and was returned to the coking system might have no effect on both coke oven gas and coke.

In this study, we construct a surface Fenton system with hydroxylamine (NH2OH), goethite (α-FeOOH), and H2O2 (α-FeOOH-HA/H2O2) to degrade various organicpollutants including dyes (methyl orange, methylene blue, and rhodamine B), pesticides (pentachlorophenol, alachlor, and atrazine), and antibiotics (tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and lincomycin) at pH 5.0. In this surface Fenton system, the presence of NH2OH could greatly promote the H2O2 decomposition on the α-FeOOH surface to produce •OH without releasing any detectable iron ions during the alachlor degradation, which was different from some previously reported heterogeneous Fenton counterparts. Moreover, the •OH generation rate constant of this surface Fenton system was 102 - 104 times those of previous heterogeneous Fenton processes. The interaction between α-FeOOH and NH2OH was investigated with using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The effective degradation of organicpollutants in this surface Fenton system was ascribed to the efficient Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle on the α-FeOOH surface promoted by NH2OH, which was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The degradation intermediates and mineralization of alachlor in this surface Fenton system were then systematically investigated using total organic carbon and ion chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study offers a new strategy to degrade organicpollutants, and also sheds light on the environmental effects of goethite.

Responses of a select suite of protective enzymes in Lateolabrax japonicus including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), reduced glutathione (GSH) glutathione S-transferase (GST), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in liver tissue and brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which could work as sensitively biochemical biomarkers were analyzed when exposed to different concentrations of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) under controlled laboratory conditions. Results showed that: (1) The biochemical biomarkers included in this investigation, different responses occurred in the enzymatic activities when exposed to different pollutants: the activities of SOD, GST, Gpx and GSH content were significantly induced by B[a]P (p < 0.05) while others present little different as compared to the control. Differently, SDBS exposure greatly affected the activities of CAT, Gpx, iNOS and AChE while showed little effect on the other evaluated biomarkers. Gpx was the most sensitive biomarker that sensitively indicated the organicpollution stress. (2) The simultaneous assay on heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression was conducted by flow cytometry (FCM) and result presented that Hsp 70 expression could be effectively induced by SDBS as compared to the control throughout the experiment; however, B[a]P obviously induced Hsp70 during the first 12 d and then decreased to the level of the control. (3) The evaluated method of biomarker system combined with principal component analysis (PCA) could effectively distinguish different pollutants under controlled laboratory conditions and might be a promising and warning method for the early assessment of environmental change exposed to different organicpollutions.

The radioisotope pollution shows two types of patterns: dry and wet deposits for nuclear power plant accidents. Two surface pollutionpatterns were analysed by fractal. In Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, surface pollution by wet deposits was estimated to occur. However, actually it was no rain and white crystals were observed on the surface. Then, fractal analysis was carried out for the spatial distribution patterns of radio isotopes on the surface to judge the types of deposits. As a reference, Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was checked for the spatial distribution patterns of radioisotopes on the surface. The objective patterns by fractal analysis were the surface pollution maps in Fukushima and Chernobyl, Abukuma river watershed map, and NOAA/AVHRR. The calculation of fractal dimensions was carried out with the box counting for binarized images. Fractal analysis results suggested the next conclusions. The radioisotope pollution in Fukushima might occur in both dry and wet deposits. The dry deposit might make the pollutionpattern similar to the watershed, while the wet deposit might make the pollutionpattern similar to cloud images. Moreover, most radioisotope contaminants might flow on the road in the forest valley and deposit on forest with and without rainfall in Fukushima.

The occurrence of aquatic pollution is an inevitable environmental impact resulting from human civilization and societal advancement. Either from the natural or anthropogenic sources, the aqueous contaminants enter the natural environment and aggravate its quality. To assure the aquatic environment quality, the attached-growth biological degradation is often applied to removing organic contaminants by introducing contaminated water into a porous media which is covered by microorganism. Additionally, many natural aquatic systems also form such similar mechanism to increase their self-purification capability. To better understand this transport phenomenon and degradation mechanism in the biofilm for future application, the mathematic characterization of organic contaminant diffusion within the biofilm requires further exploration. The present study aimed to formulate a mathematic representation to quantify the diffusion of the organic contaminant in the biofilm. The BOD was selected as the target contaminant. A series of experiments were conducted to quantify the BOD diffusion in the biofilm under the conditions of influent BOD variation from 50 to 300 mg/L, COD:N:P ratios of 100:5:1 and 100:15:3, with or without auxiliary aeration. For diffusion coefficient calculation, the boundary condition of zero diffusion at the interface between microbial phase and contact media was assumed. With the principle of conservation of mass, the removed contaminants equal those that diffuse into the biofilm, and eq 1 results, and the diffusion coefficient (i.e., eq 2) can be solved through calculus with equations from table of integral. ∂2Sf- Df ∂z2 = Rf (1) --(QSin--QSout)2Y--- Df = 2μmaxxf(Sb + Ks ln-Ks-) Sb+Ks (2) Using the obtained experimental data, the diffusion coefficient was calculated to be 2.02*10-6 m2/d with influent COD of 50 mg/L at COD:N:P ratio of 100:5:1 with aeration, and this coefficient increased to 6.02*10-6 m2/d as the influent concentration increased to

The ratification of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicPollutants is a departure point for several considerations on their presence in environmental matrices. In this paper, the Italian situation is presented with emphasis on the most toxic compounds--chemicals with dioxin-like toxic action, and the activity in the area of interest of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Biotic, as well as abiotic matrices have been taken in consideration and, where possible, a comparation between their contamination levels with the levels reported on similar matrices by other European countries has been reported.

Leaching experiments are performed from clay-pollutant systems in order to evaluate the capability of clays to sequestrate organicpollutants from wastewaters. Reference kaolinite KGa-1b, montmorrillonite SWy-2 and reference soil BCR-700 are the sorbent materials. 2,4,6-trichloroaniline (2,4,6-TCA) and 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) are the typical pollutants, sorbed at amounts of 10.0 mg g(-1) and 5.8 mg g(-1) on SWy-2 and 7.3 mg g(-1) and 2.2 mg g(-1) on KGa-1b, respectively. The leaching agents are ultrapure water and model solutions of acid rain and surface waters that simulate meteoric leaching. 1.0mM HNO(3), 1.0mM H(2)SO(4) solutions and a methanol/water 50/50 (v/v) mixture simulate leaching agents of industrial source. The results are compared and the preferential capability of the clays to sequestrate the more lipophilic 2,4,6-TCA is evidenced. The bond interactions are discussed and explained through preferential adsorption reactions. For montmorrillonite also a simultaneous intercalation in the phyllosilicate interlayer is proposed.

Tripoli harbour is among the most important ports on the Mediterranean Sea eastern basin. The persistent organicpollutants (POPs) were monitored (28 PCBs, 16 PAHs and 18 Me-PAHs) in 15 stations of Tripoli harbour basins, which are influenced by anthropogenic activities. Total PAHs concentrations ranged from 243 to 2965 μg kg(-1)dw, total Me-PAH concentrations ranged from 54 to 1638 μg kg(-1)dw, while total PCB levels ranged from 18 to 302 μg kg(-1)dw. PCBs profiles were dominated by four and six-chlorinated congeners while the PAHs were dominated by four and five rings. For identifying pollution emission sources of PAHs, different ratios were used. The results show that the pollution origin was predominated by pyrogenic process related to the deposition of coal dust and the combustion of biomass and coal. Based on Sediments Quality Guidelines the biological adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems were expected rarely to occasionally for PAHs and PCBs contamination.

A wide range and occasionally high levels of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are reported in Arctic regions, especially among top predators. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus), arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and some gull species (Larus spp.) often have high levels of these fat-soluble pollutants. Gulls deposit significant levels of these contaminants in their eggs. In northern regions, gull eggs are part of the traditional human diet. In the present study we have investigated the levels of POPs in gull eggs in order to determine the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for humans. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in 214 gull eggs collected in the spring of 2001-02. The eggs were collected from four gull species (herring gulls (Larus argentatus), great black-backed gulls (L. marinus), lesser black-backed gulls (L. fuscus) and glaucous gulls (L. hyperboreus)) at 12 different locations in Northern Norway, on the Faroe Islands and on Svalbard. The pollutant levels in gull eggs were found to be 65.5 +/- 26.9 pg toxic equivalent (TE) for dioxin and PCB g(-1) wet weight. Based on these findings and the TWI-value determined by the EU Scientific Committee on Food it is advised that children, young women and pregnant and nursing women should not eat gull eggs. Other people should limit their intake of eggs to an absolute minimum, considering the health risks associated with gull egg intake.

Degradation of 13 different organic micro-pollutants in sewage sludge during aerobic composting at 5 different temperatures over a 52 day period was investigated. Adequacy of two kinetic models: a single first order, and a dual first order expression (using an early (first 7 days) and a late-time (last 45 days) degradation coefficient), for describing micro-pollutant degradation, and kinetic constant dependency on composting temperature were evaluated. The results showed that both models provide relatively good descriptions of the degradation process, with the dual first order model being most accurate. The single first order degradation coefficient was 0.025 d(-1) on average across all compounds and temperatures. At early times, degradation was about three times faster than at later times. Average values of the early and late time degradation coefficients for the dual first order model were 0.066 d(-1) and 0.022 d(-1), respectively. On average 30% of the initial micro-pollutant mass present in the compost was degraded rapidly during the early stages of the composting process. Single first order and late time dual first order kinetic constants were strongly dependent on composting temperature with maximum values at temperatures of 35-65°C. In contrast the early time degradation coefficients were relatively independent of composting temperature.

Globally, many river sediments are seriously contaminated with persistent organicpollutants (POPs) known to accumulate in aquatic food. In the Netherlands, toxicological risks of human exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds led to a ban on eel fishing in the Rhine-Meuse delta. The aim of this study is to investigate differences in serum POP levels in consumers of eel from high-polluted areas and consumers of eel from low-polluted areas or aquaculture. In total 80 Dutch men were included, aged 40-70 years, with a habitual eel consumption of at least one portion (150 g) per month. Total levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds were measured in serum of all participants with the DR CALUX bioassay, validated with GC-MS. For a subgroup of 38 participants extensive POP measurements were performed. We revealed that consumption of eel from polluted rivers resulted in 2.5 and up to 10 times increased levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) respectively compared to controls. The highest PCB levels were detected for PCB 153, with a median level of 896 ng/g lipid and a maximum level of 5000 ng/g lipid in the high-exposed group. Furthermore, hydroxylated PCB metabolites (OH-PCBs: sum of 4-OH-CB107, 4-OH-CB146, 4'-OH-CB172, and 4-OH-CB187) were 8 times higher in men who consumed eel from polluted areas, and detected at levels (median 4.5 ng/g ww) reported to cause adverse health effects. Also, the majority of the perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were significantly higher in consumers of eel from pullulated areas. In conclusion, this study is the first to reveal that (past) consumption of eel from polluted rivers resulted in high body burdens of dioxins, PCBs, OH-PCBs and PFASs. We confirmed the predictions made in a former risk assessment, and the high levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds as well as the OH-PCBs are of health concern.

Has conducted monitoring of organic waste pollution in the River Sibelis of Tegal City of Central Java. Organic wastes that pollute River Sibelis can degrade the quality of well water along the river. Monitoring carried out in the upstream and downstream by chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) parameters. COD test methods by titration and the results are used to determine the test sample comparison with the volume of diluent required for analysts BOD. COD test results on the upstream and downstream Sibelis River respectively 58.13 mg/L and 73.97 mg / L so that the ratio of the test sample with diluent volume for BOD analysis is 20: 280 (Sawyer, 1978). BOD test principle is based on the reduction of dissolved oxygen zero day (DO0) and five days (DO5). The result of observation BOD samples at upstream and downstream Sibelis Rivers are 10.7212 mg / L and 5.3792 mg / L respectively. Quality control of BOD testing conducted with measurement accuracy and precision and obtained result are 85.36% and 0.27% respectively. The result of uncertainty measurement for BOD testing at upstream and downstream are ±0.4469 mg/L and ±0.22188 mg/L.

Background: Adipose tissue (AT) is involved in several physiological functions, including metabolic regulation, energy storage, and endocrine functions. Objectives: In this review we examined the evidence that an additional function of AT is to modulate persistent organicpollutant (POP) toxicity through several mechanisms. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the interaction of AT with POPs to provide a comprehensive model for this additional function of AT. Discussion: As a storage compartment for lipophilic POPs, AT plays a critical role in the toxicokinetics of a variety of drugs and pollutants, in particular, POPs. By sequestering POPs, AT can protect other organs and tissues from POPs overload. However, this protective function could prove to be a threat in the long run. The accumulation of lipophilic POPs will increase total body burden. These accumulated POPs are slowly released into the bloodstream, and more so during weight loss. Thus, AT constitutes a continual source of internal exposure to POPs. In addition to its buffering function, AT is also a target of POPs and may mediate part of their metabolic effects. This is particularly relevant because many POPs induce obesogenic effects that may lead to quantitative and qualitative alterations of AT. Some POPs also induce a proinflammatory state in AT, which may lead to detrimental metabolic effects. Conclusion: AT appears to play diverse functions both as a modulator and as a target of POPs toxicity. PMID:23221922

Long-range transport of persistent organicpollutant (POPs) is a global concern. Remote regions such as the Southern Ocean are greatly under-sampled though critical components in understanding POPs cycling. Over 20 high-volume air samples were collected in the Southern Ocean aboard the RV Brown during the GASEX III experiment between Mar 05 to April 9 2008. The relatively stationary platform (51S,38W) enabled the collection of a unique atmospheric time series at this open ocean station. Air sampling was also conducted across transects from Punto Arenas, Chile and to Montevideo, Uruguay. Samples were collected using glass sleeves packed with poly-urethane foam plugs and C-18 resin in order to collect target organicpollutants (per-fluorinated compounds, currently and historically used pesticides) in this under-sampled region. Here we present POPs concentrations and trends over the sampled period and compare variations with air parcel back trajectories to establish potential origins of their long-range transport.

This project was initiated by the North America Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). Its main purpose was to obtain an initial profile on pregnant woman's exposure to persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in North America (Canada, the United States and Mexico). Persistent organicpollutants are transferred to the fetus via the placenta during the pregnancy or to the infant via maternal milk; therefore, the pregnant woman's body burden is important because of the higher exposures and potential health effects in the fetus and infant. This paper presents the results from 240 pregnant women in 10 Mexican cities, and includes the concentrations of various POPs such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins and furans (PCDDs and PCDFs) in maternal plasma. We found concentrations of p,p'-DDE in maternal samples from Coatzacoalcos to be ∼60% higher than those found in Ciudad Obregon, which had the second highest concentration. Pregnant women from Merida had higher mean concentrations of PCBs than all women in other regions. Results for PCDDs and PCDFs plus dioxin-like PCBs data were only available on the basis of composite samples, and their concentrations are similar in most cities except for Coatzacoalcos, which had more than double the concentration found in other cities. Although this study provides useful information on the variability of POPs in specific populations and possible regional/local differences, these results cannot be generalized to the entire Mexican population because of differences in age, gender, sources of exposure and nonrandom nature of the sample.

The Pilot Study of Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent OrganicPollutants (CTEPP) investigated the aggregate exposures of 257 preschool children and their primary adult caregivers to pollutants commonly detected in their everyday environments. ...

The Pilot Study of Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent OrganicPollutants (CTEPP) investigated the aggregate exposures of 257 preschool children and their primary adult caregivers to pollutants commonly detected in their everyday environments. ...

Zeolites are well known for their ion exchange, adsorption and acid catalysis properties. Different inorganic and organicpollutants have been removed from water at room temperature using various zeolites. Synthetic zeolite Faujasite Y has been used to remove inorganic pollutants...

Zeolites are well known for their ion exchange, adsorption and acid catalysis properties. Different inorganic and organicpollutants have been removed from water at room temperature using various zeolites. Synthetic zeolite Faujasite Y has been used to remove inorganic pollutants...

Seasonal input of organicpollutants through El Albujón Watercourse to the Mar Menor lagoon was estimated from Spring 2009 to Winter 2010, including regular periods and two flash flood events. 82 semivolatile organicpollutants (persistent organicpollutants, different groups of pesticides and others) were determined by stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption followed by capillary gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry from surface waters with quantification limits of a few ngL(-1). Pesticide concentrations varied significantly along the watercourse due to the presence of different sources (groundwaters, wastewater effluent, tributary contributions, brackish waters, etc.) and physicochemical/biological processes that take place simultaneously. The most commonly detected analytes were propyzamide, triazine compounds and chlorpyrifos. A clear seasonal pattern has been detected, with a predominance of insecticides during Summer and of herbicides during Winter. The input of pesticides through this watercourse is particularly relevant during periods of heavy rain, representing more than 70% of total yearly input for many of them.

This paper reviews current knowledge of biogeochemical cycles of pollutantorganic chemicals in aquatic ecosystems with a focus on coastal ecosystems. There is a bias toward discussing chemical and geochemical aspects of biogeochemical cycles and an emphasis on hydrophobic organic compounds such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and chlorinated organic compounds used as pesticides. The complexity of mixtures of pollutantorganic compounds, their various modes of entering ecosystems, and their physical chemical forms are discussed. Important factors that influence bioavailability and disposition (e.g., organism-water partitioning, uptake via food, food web transfer) are reviewed. These factors included solubilities of chemicals; partitioning of chemicals between solid surfaces, colloids, and soluble phases; variables rates of sorption, desorption; and physiological status of organism. It appears that more emphasis on considering food as a source of uptake and bioaccumulation is important in benthic and epibenthic ecosystems when sediment-associated pollutants are a significant source of input to an aquatic ecosystem. Progress with mathematical models for exposure and uptake of contaminant chemicals is discussed briefly.

This paper reviews current knowledge of biogeochemical cycles of pollutantorganic chemicals in aquatic ecosystems with a focus on coastal ecosystems. There is a bias toward discussing chemical and geochemical aspects of biogeochemical cycles and an emphasis on hydrophobic organic compounds such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and chlorinated organic compounds used as pesticides. The complexity of mixtures of pollutantorganic compounds, their various modes of entering ecosystems, and their physical chemical forms are discussed. Important factors that influence bioavailability and disposition (e.g., organism-water partitioning, uptake via food, food web transfer) are reviewed. These factors include solubilities of chemicals; partitioning of chemicals between solid surfaces, colloids, and soluble phases; variables rates of sorption, desorption; and physiological status of organism. It appears that more emphasis on considering food as a source of uptake and bioaccumulation is important in benthic and epibenthic ecosystems when sediment-associated pollutants are a significant source of input to an aquatic ecosystem. Progress with mathematical models for exposure and uptake of contaminant chemicals is discussed briefly. PMID:1904812

Concentrations of organicpollutants in the air and in precipitation have been measured at Enewetak Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. These data from a site removed from industrial and human activity indicate the present concentrations of synthetic organicpollutants in the atmosphere and establish the long-range atmospheric transport of organicpollutants to remote marine areas. Hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers are present in the remote marine atmosphere. Polychlorobiphenyls, total DDT, dieldrin, chlordane, and two phthalate ester plasticizers were also found in the samples. The concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere remote from continental sources are good measures of the minimum concentrations of air pollutants on Earth.

Concentrations of organicpollutants in the air and in precipitation have been measured at Enewetak Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. These data from a site removed from industrial and human activity indicate the present concentrations of synthetic organicpollutants in the atmosphere and establish the long-range atmospheric transport of organicpollutants to remote marine areas. Hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers are present in the remote marine atmosphere. Polychlorobiphenyls, total DDT, dieldrin, chlordane, and two phthalate ester plasticizers were also found in the samples. The concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere remote from continental sources are good measures of the minimum concentrations of air pollutants on Earth.

In the present study, the possible associations between selected persistent organicpollutants (POPs) and biological factors were assessed in different tissues of two Antarctic notothenioid fish: Notothenia rossii (NOR) and Trematomus newnesi (TRN) collected at Potter Cove, King George Island/Isla 25 de Mayo, South Shetland Islands. Specifically, association patterns between biological factors (body size, lipid content, body condition) and POP concentrations (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordanes (CHLs) and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs)), were explored by using two approaches: multivariate analyses (principal component analysis: PCA) and intraspecific correlations. Integrating results suggest that biological factors such as size, KI and tissue type seemed to be associated to selective accumulation of POPs for immature specimens of N. rossii, and KI and tissue type for mature specimens of T. newnesi. Each particular factor should be considered when choosing N. rossii or T. newnesi as sentinels for POPs pollution in Antarctic marine environments. Further, both nototheniids showed a selective accumulation pattern in their gonads of penta-chlorinated biphenyls (penta-CBs; 55.5 and 29ngg(-1) lw for N. rossii and T. newnesi, respectively) and organochlorine pesticides such as DDTs (199 and 13.3ngg(-1) lw, for N. rossii and T. newnesi respectively), and of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in gills (97.2 and 22.1 for ngg(-1) lw, for N. rossii and T. newnesi, respectively), highlighting the importance of these tissues in monitoring studies of pollution in fish. The current study expands the knowledge concerning the biological factors to be investigated when specific pollutants are monitored and supports the importance of tissue type for the selective accumulation of POPs in Antarctic

A large number of organicpollutants (OPs) emitted from vehicles and traffic-related activities exhibit environmental persistence and a tendency to bioaccumulate, and may have detrimental long-term effects on aquatic life. The aim of the study was to establish a list of significant sources of OPs occurring in road runoff, identify the OPs emitted from these sources, select a number of priority pollutants (PP), and estimate the quantity of PPs emitted in a road environment case study using substance flow analysis (SFA). The priority pollutants included in the SFA were selected from a list of approximately 1100 compounds found after comprehensive screening, including literature and database searches, expert judgments, the Ranking and Identification of Chemical Hazards method, and chemical analysis of sediments. The results showed the following priority order: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)>alkanes C20-C40>alkylphenols>phthalates>aldehydes>phenolic antioxidants>bisphenol A>oxygenated-PAHs>naphtha C5-C12>amides>amines. Among these, PAHs were chosen for a SFA, which was performed for a highway case study area in Gothenburg (Sweden). The SFA showed that the main sources of PAHs emitted in the area were vehicle exhaust gases, followed by tyre wear, motor lubricant oils, road surface wear, and brake linings. Only 2-6% of the total 5.8-29kg annually emitted PAHs/ha ended up in the stormwater sewer system. The measured PAH loads were found in much smaller amounts than the calculated loads and the outflow to stormwater contained much more of the hazardous PAHs than the total loads emitted in the catchment area.

Thousands of toxic chemicals, many of which pollute marine ecosystems, potentially cause diseases, but building a consensus view of the significance of human body burdens of environmental chemicals is proving difficult. Causative mechanisms are often lacking. Older members of the population, of which there are increasing numbers worldwide, accumulate higher body burdens than the young, and may be especially at risk. It also remains unclear when crucially sensitive periods for chemical exposures occur across the life course. Very early exposures may lead to diseases much later on. The current lack of robust science upon which to base high quality expert advice is hampering effective policymaking that leads to further reductions in marine pollution, greater protection of marine life and lowering of risks to human health.

The present study investigates meteorological conditions for the day-to-day changes of particulate matter (PM) concentration in Beijing city during the period 2008-2015. The local relationship of PM concentration to surface air temperature, pressure, wind speed, and relative humidity displays seasonal changes and year-to-year variations. The average correlation coefficient with PM10 in spring, summer, fall, and winter is 0.45, 0.40, 0.38, and 0.30 for air temperature; -0.45, -0.05, -0.40, and -0.45 for pressure; 0.13, 0.04, 0.53, and 0.50 for relative humidity; and -0.18, -0.11, -0.45, and -0.33 for wind speed. A higher correlation with wind speed is obtained when wind speed leads by half a day. The heavily polluted and clean days, which are defined as the top and bottom 10% of the PM values, show obvious differences in the regional distribution of air temperature, pressure, and wind. Polluted days correspond to higher air temperature in all the four seasons, lower sea level pressure and anomalous southerly winds to the south and east of Beijing in spring, fall, and winter, and a northwest-southeast contrast in the pressure anomaly and anomalous southerly winds in summer. Higher relative humidity is observed on polluted days in fall and winter. The polluted days are preceded by an anomalous cyclone moving from the northwest, accompanied by lower pressure and higher air temperature, in all four seasons. This feature indicates the impacts of moving weather systems on local meteorological conditions for day-to-day air quality changes in Beijing.

Human subjective reactions to indoor air pollution in the form of volatile organic compounds in five concentrations ⩽ mg m -3 were examined in a climate chamber under controlled conditions in a balanced experimental design. The reactions of 25 subjects were registered in two questionnaires containing 25 and six questions and on a linear analogue rating scale. Each subject was tested for one day including four runs in each of the five treatments of 50 min duration. Dose effects were found for perceived odour intensity at 3 mgm -3. Air quality, need for ventilation, irritation of eye and nose showed significant effect at 8 mg m -3. Significant reduced well being was reported at 25 mgm -3. The analyses indicated that lower threshold for some of these effects would have been found if more subjects or longer exposure-times had been used. Gender, age, occupational education and smoking habits were co-factors for many of the symptoms reported.

It is well known that some kinds of waste contain persistent organicpollutants (POPs) such as PCDD/DFs and PCBs. Leaching behaviors of these chemicals, however, have not been focused so much because of their low leachability. On the other hand, shredder residues originated from automobiles and electric appliances consist mainly of plastics, such as PVC, which contain additives including DEHP. In this study, contents analyses and leaching tests with and without surfactant-like substances for shredder residues were conducted. As a result, shredder residues from automobile and electric appliance contained PCBs in ppm level and a quantity of PCDD/DFs. Surfactant-like substances increase the leaching concentration of POPs. DEHP also leached out considerably even though using distilled water.

Organicpollutants could be degraded by using bubble discharge in water with gas aeration in the discharge reactor and more plasma can be generated in the discharge process. When pulsed high voltage was applied between electrodes with gas aerated into the reactor, it showed that bubbles were broken, which meant that breakdown took place. It could also be observed that the removal rate of phenol increased with increasing discharge voltage or pulse frequency, and with reducing initial phenol concentration or solution electric conductivity. It could remove more amount of phenol by oxygen aeration. With increasing oxygen flow rate, the removal rate increased. There was little difference with air or nitrogen aeration for phenol removal. The solution temperature after discharge increased to a great extent. However, this part of energy consumption did not contribute to the reaction, which led to a reduction in the energy utilization efficiency.

The presence of man-made organic chemicals across the Great Lakes and Oceans is widespread. Especially in the northern hemisphere, legacy persistent organicpollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls or DDT can be detected almost everywhere. Despite their ban several decades ago, concentrations are only declining slowly in the atmosphere, while time trends are not available for the waters of the world. While concentrations are often low (picogram per liter range), their bioaccumulation still causes adverse effects in top predators, including humans. Our results for legacy POPs highlight that oceans and the Great Lakes are by now re-releasing these compounds back to the atmosphere. More recently banned POPs include brominated flame retardants and perfluorinated compounds. Atmospheric concentrations are slowly declining, while their impacts on the aquatic environment will be felt for decades to come. Due to the paucity of aqueous data on POPs, we called for a global effort to monitor key POPs using passive samplers (AQUA-GAPS). Our recent cruise results show perfluorinated compounds to be present in all ocean basins, suggesting that they will remain for good. As of yet unknown are the presence and effects of additional hundreds to thousands industrial chemicals that are suspected of being persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Several of these have been identified as compounds of potential concern, but few have been investigated in the oceans. The solution to the pollution of POPs will have to rely on better chemical screening prior to high-volume production. The recent REACH legislation by the EU is a step in the right direction, but will not prevent the on-going release of man-made chemicals over the next few decades, many of which are already in use and will continue to be released over time.

Microplastics represent an increasing source of anthropogenic contamination in aquatic environments, where they may also act as scavengers and transporters of persistent organicpollutants. As estuaries are amongst the most productive aquatic systems, it is important to understand sorption behaviour and transport of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) by microplastics along estuarine gradients. The effects of salinity sorption equilibrium kinetics on the distribution coefficients (Kd) of phenanthrene (Phe) and 4,4‧-DDT, onto polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and onto polyethylene (PE) were therefore investigated. A salinity gradient representing freshwater, estuarine and marine conditions, with salinities corresponding to 0 (MilliQ water, 690 μS/cm), 8.8, 17.5, 26.3 and 35 was used. Salinity had no significant effect on the time required to reach equilibrium onto PVC or PE and neither did it affect desorption rates of contaminants from plastics. Although salinity had no effect on sorption capacity of Phe onto plastics, a slight decrease in sorption capacity was observed for DDT with salinity. Salinity had little effect on sorption behaviour and POP/plastic combination was shown to be a more important factor. Transport of Phe and DDT from riverine to brackish and marine waters by plastic is therefore likely to be much more dependent on the aqueous POP concentration than on salinity. The physical characteristics of the polymer and local environmental conditions (e.g. plastic density, particle residence time in estuaries) will affect the physical transport of contaminated plastics. A transport model of POPs by microplastics under estuarine conditions is proposed. Transport of Phe and DDT by PVC and PE from fresh and brackish water toward fully marine conditions was the most likely net direction for contaminant transport and followed the order: Phe-PE >> DDT-PVC = DDT-PE >> Phe-PVC.

To evaluate the Models-3/Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system in reproducing the spatial patterns of aerosol concentrations over the country on timescales of months and years, the spatial patterns of model output are compared with those derived from observation...

To evaluate the Models-3/Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system in reproducing the spatial patterns of aerosol concentrations over the country on timescales of months and years, the spatial patterns of model output are compared with those derived from observation...

Air pollution has been blamed for nearly 7 million premature deaths worldwide. For decades, the research on how air pollution impacts human health has centered on cardiopulmonary consequences. However, more recently it is clearly evident that air pollution affects every organ in ...

Many studies indicated that industrialization and urbanization caused serious soil heavy metal pollution from industrialized age. However, fewer previous studies have conducted a combined analysis of the landscape pattern, urbanization, industrialization, and heavy metal pollution. This paper was aimed at exploring the relationships of heavy metals in the soil (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Zn) with landscape pattern, industrialisation, urbanisation in Taiyuan city using multivariate analysis. The multivariate analysis included correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-sample T test, and principal component analysis (PCA). Geographic information system (GIS) was also applied to determine the spatial distribution of the heavy metals. The spatial distribution maps showed that the heavy metal pollution of the soil was more serious in the centre of the study area. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that the correlations among heavy metals were significant, and industrialisation could significantly affect the concentrations of some heavy metals. Landscape diversity showed a significant negative correlation with the heavy metal concentrations. The PCA showed that a two-factor model for heavy metal pollution, industrialisation, and the landscape pattern could effectively demonstrate the relationships between these variables. The model explained 86.71% of the total variance of the data. Moreover, the first factor was mainly loaded with the comprehensive pollution index (P), and the second factor was primarily loaded with landscape diversity and dominance (H and D). An ordination of 80 samples could show the pollutionpattern of all the samples. The results revealed that local industrialisation caused heavy metal pollution of the soil, but such pollution could respond negatively to the landscape pattern. The results of the study could provide a basis for agricultural, suburban, and urban planning. PMID:25251460

Many studies indicated that industrialization and urbanization caused serious soil heavy metal pollution from industrialized age. However, fewer previous studies have conducted a combined analysis of the landscape pattern, urbanization, industrialization, and heavy metal pollution. This paper was aimed at exploring the relationships of heavy metals in the soil (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Zn) with landscape pattern, industrialisation, urbanisation in Taiyuan city using multivariate analysis. The multivariate analysis included correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-sample T test, and principal component analysis (PCA). Geographic information system (GIS) was also applied to determine the spatial distribution of the heavy metals. The spatial distribution maps showed that the heavy metal pollution of the soil was more serious in the centre of the study area. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that the correlations among heavy metals were significant, and industrialisation could significantly affect the concentrations of some heavy metals. Landscape diversity showed a significant negative correlation with the heavy metal concentrations. The PCA showed that a two-factor model for heavy metal pollution, industrialisation, and the landscape pattern could effectively demonstrate the relationships between these variables. The model explained 86.71% of the total variance of the data. Moreover, the first factor was mainly loaded with the comprehensive pollution index (P), and the second factor was primarily loaded with landscape diversity and dominance (H and D). An ordination of 80 samples could show the pollutionpattern of all the samples. The results revealed that local industrialisation caused heavy metal pollution of the soil, but such pollution could respond negatively to the landscape pattern. The results of the study could provide a basis for agricultural, suburban, and urban planning.

This article investigates the relationship of local air pollutionpattern with urban land use and with urban thermal landscape using a GIS approach. Ambient air quality measurements for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, total suspended particles, and dust level were obtained for Guangzhou City in South China between 1981 and 2000. Landsat TM images and aerial photo derived maps were used to examine city's land use and land cover at different times and changes. Landsat thermal infrared data were employed to compute land surface temperatures and to assess urban thermal patterns. Relationships among the spatial patterns of air pollution, land use, and thermal landscape were sought through GIS and correlation analyses. Results show that the spatial patterns of air pollutants probed were positively correlated with urban built-up density, and with satellite derived land surface temperature values, particularly with measurements taken during the summer. It is suggested that further studies investigate the mechanisms of this linkage, and that remote sensing of air pollution delves into how the energy interacts with the atmosphere and the environment and how sensors see pollutants. Thermal infrared imagery could play a unique role in monitoring and modeling atmospheric pollution.

Persistent organicpollutants are of great concern because of their long residence time and long-range transport potential in the environment and because they are readily bioaccumulated along food chains and toxic for wildlife and humans. Recovery of the environment from exposure to widespread and persistent chemical pollution is determined by the spatiotemporal emission pattern and storage capacity and transports in environmental compartments. We studied the 3D exposure of the global ocean changing over time in response to historic emissions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodimephenyltrichloromethane (DDT), 1950-2010 using the multicompartment chemistry-transport model MPI-MCTM, which encompasses atmosphere (ECHAM5) and ocean general circulation models (MPIOM), dynamic sub-models for atmospheric aerosols and the marine biogeochemistry, two-dimensional surface compartments (topsoil, vegetation surfaces, ice, and temporal snow cover) and intercompartmental mass exchange process parameterisations [1-3]. The pollution wave received by the surface waters through atmospheric deposition is propagating downward. Besides considerable time lags with respect to the year of peak emission, temporal bimodal exposure to the pollutants is found in mid level and deep waters (200-1500 m) in some areas, e.g. in the western and eastern North Atlantic. This is a consequence of the combination of downward pollution transport by advection, diffusion, and particle settling. It is suggested that the combination of the same processes will lead to re-rise of pollutant concentrations in seawater in other regions in the future. References [1] Guglielmo F, Lammel G, Maier-Reimer E: Global environmental cycling of DDT and gamma-HCH in the 1980s - a study using a coupled atmosphere and ocean general circulation model. Chemosphere 76 (2009) 1509-1517 [2] Stemmler I, Lammel G: Cycling of DDT in the global oceans 1950-2002: World ocean returns the pollutant. Geophys. Res. Lett. 36

Most previous studies on indoor air pollution from household use of solid fuels have used either indirect proxies for human exposure or measurements of individual pollutants at a single point, as indicators of (exposure to) the mixture of pollutants in solid fuel smoke. A heterogeneous relationship among pollutant-location pairs should be expected because specific fuel-stove technology and combustion and dispersion conditions such as temperature, moisture, and air flow are likely to affect the emissions and dispersion of the various pollutants differently. We report on a study for monitoring multiple pollutants--including respirable particles (RPM), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, fluoride, and arsenic--at four points inside homes that used coal and/or biomass fuels in Guizhou and Shaanxi provinces of China. All pollutants exhibited large variability in emissions and spatial dispersion within and between provinces and were generally poorly correlated. RPM, followed by SO2, was generally higher than common health-based guidelines/standards and provided sufficient resolution for assessing variations within and between households in both provinces. Indoor heating played an important role in the level and spatial patterns of pollution inside homes, possibly to an extent more important than cooking. The findings indicate the need for monitoring of RPM and selected other pollutants in longer-term health studies, with focus on both cooking and living/sleeping areas.

Organicpollutant ingredients and content of water samples from Taihu Lake were analyzed by GC-MS. Results showed that Taihu Lake was already contaminated by the organicpollutant, and 15 kinds of targeted organicpollutants were detected. At lower concentrations (1 time), organicpollutants could not have notable effect on the growth of Euglena gracilis, but could increase the content of photosynthetic pigment. At higher concentrations (5, 10 times), organicpollutants restrained the growth of E. gracilis remarkably, and decreased the content of photosynthetic pigment. Activities of SOD and POD increased with the content of organicpollutants. It is indicated that organicpollution could induce activities of antioxidation enzymes in E. gracilis. TOM and TM for the genotoxicity assay increased and DNA damage was found. In higher concentration groups, DNA damage was serious and had an obvious dose-effect relationship. It is indicated that Meiliang bay water may have potential mutagenicity. Comet assay combined with SOD analysis was of value to genotoxic monitoring of polluted water and was a suitable biomarker for organicpollutants in water.

The use of large quantities of chemical fertilizers is usually associated with environmental problems. A lot of work has been done on the concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in chemical fertilizers, but little work has focused on the occurrence of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). In this study the occurrence of 43 SVOCs listed as priority pollutants in 22 widely used-fertilizers of China was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Twenty-six SVOCs were detected with different detection frequencies and concentrations. The most abundant compounds were phthalic acid esters (PAEs; ranging from 1.17 to 2795 microg kg(-1) dry weight, d.w.) and nitroaromatics (up to 9765 microg kg(-1) d.w.), followed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; <140 microg kg(-1) d.w.) and halogenated hydrocarbons (<900 microg kg(-1) d.w.). Chlorobenzenes and haloethers occurred generally at low concentrations. There are large variations in concentrations of various compounds in different fertilizers, and the total concentrations of each class of contaminants varied widely, too. The highest levels of sum concentration for 16 PAHs, for 6 PAEs and for nitroaromatics were found in organic fertilizer containing pesticide and soil amendments. Concentrations of SVOCs in coated fertilizers (the controlled release fertilizer with coating) were considerably higher than those in the corresponding fertilizers without coating. The occurrence frequencies of SVOCs in the straight fertilizers (containing only one of the major plant nutrients) were lower than in the other fertilizers.

The development of chemical sensors for monitoring the levels of organicpollutants in the aquatic environment has received a great deal of attention in recent decades. In particular, the mid-infrared (MIR) sensor based on attenuated total reflectance (ATR) is a promising analytical tool that has been used to detect a variety of hydrocarbon compounds (i.e., aromatics, alkyl halides, phenols, etc.) dissolved in water. It has been shown that under certain conditions the MIR-ATR sensor is capable of achieving detection limits in the 10–100 ppb concentration range. Since the infrared spectral features of every single organic molecule are unique, the sensor is highly selective, making it possible to distinguish between many different analytes simultaneously. This review paper discusses some of the parameters (i.e., membrane type, film thickness, conditioning) that dictate MIR-ATR sensor response. The performance of various chemoselective membranes which are used in the fabrication of the sensor will be evaluated. Some of the challenges associated with long-term environmental monitoring are also discussed. PMID:22454582

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has demonstrated that controlling the temperature (and to a lesser extent, the pressure) of water can dramatically change its ability to extract organics and inorganics from matrices ranging from soils and sediments to waste sludges and coal. The dielectric constant of water can be changed from about 80 (a very polar solvent) to <5 (similar to a nonpolar organic solvent) by controlling the temperature (from ambient to about 400 C) and pressure (from about 5 to 350 bar). The EERC has shown that hazardous organicpollutants such as pesticides, PACS (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) can be completely removed from soils, sludges, and sediments at temperatures (250 C) and pressures (<50 atm) that are much milder than typically used for supercritical water processes (temperature >374 C, pressure >221 atm). In addition, the process has been demonstrated to be particularly effective for samples containing very high levels of contaminants (e.g., part per thousand). Current projects include demonstrating the subcritical water remediation process at the pilot scale using an 8-liter system constructed under separate funding during 1997. To date, subcritical water has been shown to be an effective extraction fluid for removing a variety of organicpollutants from soils and sludges contaminated with fossil fuel products and waste products, including PACS from soil (e.g., town gas sites), refining catalysts, and petroleum tank bottom sludges; PCBs from soil and sediments; toxic gasoline components (e.g., benzene) from soil and waste sludge; and phenols from petroleum refinery sludges. The obvious need to clean the wastewater from subcritical water processes led to preliminary experiments with activated carbon placed in line after the extractor. Initial experiments were performed before and after cooling the extractant water (e.g., with water at 200 C and with water cooled to 25 C

A new biomimetic absorbent, cellulose acetate (CA) embedded with triolein (CA-triolein), was prepared and applied for the removal of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) from micro-polluted aqueous solution. The comparison of CA-triolein, CA and granular activated carbon (GAC) for dieldrin removal was investigated. Results showed that CA-triolein absorbent gave a lowest residual concentration after 24 h although GAC had high removal rate in the first 4 h adsorption. Then the removal efficiency of mixed POPs (e.g. aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and heptachlor epoxide), absorption isotherm, absorbent regeneration and initial column experiments of CA-triolein were studied in detail. The linear absorption isotherm and the independent absorption in binary isotherm indicated that the selected POPs are mainly absorbed onto CA-triolein absorbent by a partition mechanism. The absorption constant, K, was closely related to the hydrophobic property of the compound. Thermodynamic calculations showed that the absorption was spontaneous, with a high affinity and the absorption was an endothermic reaction. Rinsing with hexane the CA-triolein absorbent can be regenerated after absorption of POPs. No significant decrease in the dieldrin removal efficiency was observed even when the absorption-regeneration process was repeated for five times. The results of initial column experiments showed that the CA-triolein absorbent did not reach the breakthrough point at a breakthrough empty-bed volume (BV) of 3200 when the influent concentration was 1-1.5 microg/L and the empty-bed contact time (EBCT) was 20 min.

To assess whether meteorological conditions modify the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and mortality, an examination of air pollution and human mortality associations (ecologic) using hybrid spatial synoptic classification procedures was conducted. Concentrations of air pollutants and human mortality from all non-accidental and cardiorespiratory causes were examined according to typical winter and summer synoptic climatologies in Toronto, Canada, between 1981 and 1999. Air masses were derived using a hybrid spatial synoptic classification procedure associating each day over the 19-year period with one of six different typical weather types, or a transition between two weather types. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to assess the risk of mortality from air pollution within specific air mass type subsets. Mortality follows a distinct seasonal pattern with a maximum in winter and a minimum in summer. Average air pollution concentrations were similar in both seasons with the exception of elevated sulfur dioxide levels in winter and elevated ozone levels in summer. Subtle changes in meteorological composition can alter the strength of pollutant associations with health outcomes, especially in the summer season. Although there does not appear to be any systematic patterning of modification, variation in pollutant concentrations seems dependent on the type of synoptic category present.

In this study, we analysed spatial and temporal patterns of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) concentrations across India. We have also assessed MODIS-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) variations to characterize the air quality and relate it to SPM, NO2 and SO2 in different areas. In addition, the pollutant concentrations have been mapped using geospatial techniques. The results indicated significant differences in air pollutant levels across rural and urban areas. In general, districts of central and northern India had relatively higher SPM concentrations compared to southern India. Out of the top ten SPM polluted districts in India, nine were located in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). We observed significant correlations between the SPM and AOD at different sites. Although spatial and temporal patterns of NO2 and SO2 matched AOD patterns, the correlation strength (r2) varied based on location. The causes and implications of these findings are presented.

Characterizing the spatio-temporal patterns and apportioning the pollution sources of water bodies are important for the management and protection of water resources. The main objective of this study is to describe the dynamics of water quality and provide references for improving river pollution control practices. Comprehensive application of neural-based modeling and different multivariate methods was used to evaluate the spatio-temporal patterns and source apportionment of pollution in Qiantang River, China. Measurement data were obtained and pretreated for 13 variables from 41 monitoring sites for the period of 2001-2004. A self-organizing map classified the 41 monitoring sites into three groups (Group A, B and C), representing different pollution characteristics. Four significant parameters (dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and total lead) were identified by discriminant analysis for distinguishing variations of different years, with about 80% correct assignment for temporal variation. Rotated principal component analysis (PCA) identified four potential pollution sources for Group A (domestic sewage and agricultural pollution, industrial wastewater pollution, mineral weathering, vehicle exhaust and sand mining), five for Group B (heavy metal pollution, agricultural runoff, vehicle exhaust and sand mining, mineral weathering, chemical plants discharge) and another five for Group C (vehicle exhaust and sand mining, chemical plants discharge, soil weathering, biochemical pollution, mineral weathering). The identified potential pollution sources explained 75.6% of the total variances for Group A, 75.0% for Group B and 80.0% for Group C, respectively. Receptor-based source apportionment was applied to further estimate source contributions for each pollution variable in the three groups, which facilitated and supported the PCA results. These results could assist managers to develop optimal strategies and determine priorities for river

In order to investigate the contamination status of organicpollutants in a river of a typical electrical equipment industrial area, Ronggui, Foshan, the sediments were sampled for the composition, concentration and occurrence analysis of organicpollutants. The polar and non-polar fractionation methods were employed for the fingerprint establishment of organicpollutants. One hundred and seventy-one of organic chemicals including ten categories of alkanes, alkenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, heterocyclic compounds, phthalate esters, aldehydes, ketones, polar compounds, silicon-containing material as well as alkyl esters were examined. The number of different categories of the detected organicpollutants in a descending order was: alkanes > polar compounds > polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons > aldehydes and ketones > heterocyclic compounds > benzene homologues, phthalate ester > alkyl esters > silicon material > olefins. The abundance of detected organicpollutants in a descending order was: alkanes > polar compounds > alkyl esters > olefins > polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons > phthalates > silicon material > aldehydes and ketones > heterocyclic compounds > benzene homologues. Among the 51 kinds of alkanes detected, nonadecane accounted for 14.83%, and the persistent organicpollutants accounted for 2.33% of the total organic matter. Compared to similar studies, there were 51 kinds of alkanes and they accounted for 55.5% of the total organic chemicals, showing high diversity and abundance. In addition, some electronics industry-related organicpollutants such as silicone materials were also detected in high frequency.

Numerous studies have shown an epidemiological link between meat consumption and the incidence of cancer, and it has been suggested that this relationship may be motivated by the presence of carcinogenic contaminants on it. Among the most frequently detected contaminants in meat are several types of persistent organicpollutants (POPs), and it is well known that many of them are carcinogenic. On the other hand, an increasing number of consumers choose to feed on what are perceived as healthier foods. Thus, the number of consumers of organic food is growing. However, environmental contamination by POPs is ubiquitous, and it is therefore unlikely that the practices of organic food production are able to prevent this contamination. To test this hypothesis, we acquired 76 samples of meat (beef, chicken, and lamb) of two modes of production (organic and conventional) and quantified their levels of 33 carcinogenic POPs. On this basis, we determined the human meat-related daily dietary exposure to these carcinogens using as a model a population with a high consumption of meat, such as the Spanish population. The maximum allowable meat consumption for this population and the carcinogenic risk quotients associated with the current pattern of consumption were calculated. As expected, no sample was completely free of carcinogenic contaminants, and the differences between organically and conventionally produced meats were minimal. According to these results, the current pattern of meat consumption exceeded the maximum limits, which are set according to the levels of contaminations, and this is associated with a relevant carcinogenic risk. Strikingly, the consumption of organically produced meat does not diminish this carcinogenic risk, but on the contrary, it seems to be even higher, especially that associated with lamb consumption.

The occurrence of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in the environment can affect organisms inhabiting aquatic systems, in particular shallow lakes that are vulnerable to environmental stressors. This study aimed to assess POPs accumulation and changes at histological and physiological levels in tissues of three fish species with different trophic habits. Gills, brain, muscle, liver and gonads of Odontesthes bonariensis, Oligosarcus jenynsii and Cyphocharax voga were collected from the shallow lake La Peregrina, located in an agricultural area from Argentina. In addition, contaminant levels in surface water (SW), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and bottom sediments (BS) were assessed. Histological lesions were evaluated in fish tissues and levels of vitellogenin (VTG) were assessed in plasma of male fish in order to correlate these alterations with the presence of POPs in the environment. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined by GC-ECD. Biotic and abiotic samples showed the same POPs distribution pattern: OCPs>PCBs>PBDEs. Although tissue distribution of OCPs was species-specific, muscle showed the lowest levels in all species. The most abundant contaminants were endosulfans, suggesting their widespread use in the area. O. bonariensis showed the highest endosulfans levels in liver (184.2-219ngg(-1)wet w), which was associated with the high SPM levels considering this species is a filter feeder. The occurrence of PCBs and PBDEs shows the ubiquity of these pollutants in the area. Histological lesions in gills and liver of O. bonariensis and O. jenynsii, might be related with the high levels of endosulfans in these organs. The detection of VTG in males warns about a possible exposure to estrogenic compounds in the environment. In conclusion, the simultaneous exposure of fish to multiple environmental pollutants leads to different alterations, so measures should be taken in

Dietary ingestion of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) correlates with developing obesity. Obesity alters metabolism, induces an inflammatory tissue microenvironment, and is also linked with diabetes and breast cancer risk/promotion of the disease. However, no direct evidence exists exploring the correlation among all three of these factors (POPs, obesity, and breast cancer). Herein, we present current correlative studies suggesting a causal link between POPs exposure through diet and their bioaccumulation in adipose that promotes the development of obesity and ultimately influences breast cancer development and/or progression. Furthermore, as endocrine disruptors, POPs can potentially interfere with hormonally responsive tissue functions causing dysregulation in hormone signaling and cell function. This review highlights the critical need for advanced in vitro and in vivo model systems to understand the complex relationship between obesity, POPs, breast cancer, and, more importantly, to delineate their multifaceted molecular, cellular, and biochemical mechanisms. Comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies directly testing the observed correlations as well as detailing their molecular mechanisms are vital to cancer research and, ultimately, public health. PMID:25624167

An analysis is presented of the factors controlling the potential for the long-range transport (LRT) of persistent organicpollutants subject to degrading reactions and reversible transport to other environmental media. The approach adopted generalizes those developed previously by van Pul et al. and Bennett et al. to estimate a characteristic travel distance (CTD) or a half-distance (analogous to a half-life) for a substance present in a mobile medium such as air and subject to reversible transport to other media such as soil and water. For substances discharged to immobile media, such as pesticides to soil, an effective travel distance (ETD) is defined as the distance that, for example, 1% of the discharged chemical may be transported. It is shown that existing multimedia box models can be used to estimate CTD and that a simple relationship exists between CTD and overall environmental persistence, which can be displayed graphically. CTDs in air and water are calculated illustratively for 18 chemicals, and recommendations are made regarding ranking or grouping chemicals according to their potential for LRT.

The present review aims to delve into persistent organicpollutants (POPs) , as xenobiotics, in correlation to human health. POPs exhibit a group of common characteristics, including lipophilicity, persistence to decomposition and bioaccumulation in tissues. POPs have been thoroughly studied by former researchers, as they offer a particular interest in the elucidation of metabolic, endocrine and immune perturbation caused by their synergy with intracellular mechanisms. Herein particular focus is attributed to the relationship of POPs with obesity provocation. Obesity nowadays receives epidemic dimensions, as its prevalence elevates in an exponential degree. POPs-induced obesity rotates around interfering in metabolic and endocrinal procedures and interacting with peroxisome-proliferator and retinoic receptors. Moreover, polymorphisms in CYP gene families exert a negative result, as they incapacitate detoxification of POPs. Obesity could be deemed as a multidimensional condition, as various factors interact to lead to an obesogenic result. Therefore, concomitant disorders may occur, from mild to lethal, and get intensified due to POPs exposure. POPs exact function mechanisms remain rather enigmatic, thus further investigation should be prospectively performed, for a more lucid picture of this issue, and, consequently for the establishment of alternative solutions.

Twenty-five stations were selected along the UAE coastal region to delineate the distribution and to determine the source of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total organic carbon (TOC), total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The concentrations of TPH ranged between 46 and 223 mg/kg and the level of TOC was in the range from 0.044 to 17.8 wt%, while TPAHs occupied the range of 5-102.2 μg/kg. On the other hand, TPCBs showed values between 60 and 205 μg/kg and TKN ranged from 104 to 1,073 mg/kg. The present study shows that the distribution of organic compounds in UAE sediments were within safe limits comparing with previous studies. The present study revealed that TOC can be used as an indicator of oil pollution in heavily oiled sediments. The highest values of TOC, TPH, TPAHs and TPCBs related to the stations covered in fine sand due to adsorption properties and the large surface areas of the grains. The evaporation of low-boiling point compounds from surface layers leads to the enrichment of sediments with a thick residual. Al Sharjah-1 exhibited the highest values of TPH and TOC at Ras Al-Khaima-5, Umm Al-Quwen-1 and Dubai-1, while the highest values of TPAHs were at KhorFakkan-9, the highest value of TPCBs was at Ajman-2, and the highest values of TKN were at KhorFakkan-1, KhorFakkan-6 and Dubai-1.

In Asian developing countries, large amounts of municipal wastes are dumped daily in open dumping sites without proper management. This practice may cause several adverse environmental consequences and increased health risk to local communities. To elucidate contamination by persistent organicpollutants (POPs)--including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordanes, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)--in such dumping sites, soil samples were collected from open dumping sites and respective control sites in Cambodia, India, and Vietnam from 1999 through 2001. Our results demonstrated that DDTs, PCBs, and HCHs were dominant contaminants in the dumping sites. However, the contamination pattern was not consistent, showing higher HCHs in India than in Cambodia and Vietnam. Interestingly, in all of the countries, extremely higher levels of POPs were observed in the dumping sites compared with those in the respective control sites, suggesting significant amplification of POP contamination in the dumping sites of Asian developing countries. Mean concentrations of DDTs and PCBs were 350 and 140 ng/g dry weight, respectively, in the dumping sites of Cambodia and 26 and 210 ng/g, respectively, in India. These residue levels were hundreds to thousands times higher than those in general soils, implying possible risk to human health of the local communities, especially to the rag pickers, including children who work in these sites to collect recyclable materials. Composition of DDT compounds suggested their recent use in populated areas, which in turn might have caused increased levels of DDTs in the open dumping sites. In addition, composition of HCH isomers revealed their different use pattern in different countries.

Using a prognostic air quality model that includes actual emissions, air pollution regimes over the central region of Mexico are simulated. It is shown that due to the complex orography, vertical circular patterns develop over the metropolitan area of Mexico City. In this way reactive and non-reactive pollutants can travel near the surface, be transported vertically and land in an area opposite to its initial route due to convective downward currents. This changes the surface pollutant concentrations on the landing area. Also, it is shown that air pollution is transported near the surface from the metropolitan area of Mexico City through Chalco in the South-east corner of the Mexico Valley, to the Valley of Cuautla affecting this area.

Higher concentration of SO2 and particulate matters was reported in surrounding areas of coal-fired industries which influences the distribution pattern of plants. Sensitive plant species are abolished from such areas, however, only pollution tolerant species survive under stress conditions. The present study was designed to investigate the vegetation composition around coal-fired industries i.e. brick industries. To categorise plants as sensitive or resistant air pollution tolerance index (APTI) value was calculated. Out of 99 plants studied, Ricinus communis with APTI 81.10 was found to be the most resistant wild plant showing uniform distribution at all the polluted sites. On the other hand, Lepidium sativum with APTI 5.27 was recorded as the most sensitive plant and found to be present only at the less polluted sites.

The E.P.A. has declared the Baltimore Harbor as an impaired waterway, due to elevated levels of persistent pollutants. This concern coupled with recent changes to TMDL permitting requirements has made it essential to understand and quantify the sources of organic contamination. To complement ongoing hydrodynamic modeling efforts, an advanced multivariate statistical method was employed to assess the major factors influencing the distribution of organic contaminants in the harbor. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was used to interpret the seasonal and spatial patterns of 30 PAHs and 10 PCB homolog groups in Baltimore Harbor. Both the particulate and dissolved PAH and PCB homolog fractions, as well as, water quality parameters such as POC, DOC and chlorophyll a were incorporated in this three-dimensional analysis. PMF has been used successfully several times to determine sources of atmospheric pollutants, but only once in water quality analysis. PMF offers several advantages over traditional source modeling including constraints on non-negative solutions. The data used in this analysis was collected as part of the Comprehensive Harbor Assessment and Regional Modeling Study (CHARM) in which water and particulate samples were collected from 26 sites in Baltimore Harbor during the fall and winter of 1999 and spring and summer of 2000.

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are monitored regularly in water, sediment, and biota in the Baltic Sea. Lipophilic substances are measured in remarkable concentrations especially in the fatty parts of fish, such as herring (Clupea harengus). However, less lipophilic POPs, e.g. perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), can also be detected. For the first time to our knowledge, this study provides a broad range of contaminant concentrations simultaneously measured in filet, liver, and gonads of both sexes of Baltic herring. We analysed organochlorines, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and PFCs in mature autumn-spawning individuals and found distinct organpollutantpattern for all POPs in both sexes. POP concentrations found in the gonads of both sexes indicate that not only females but also males tend to reduce contaminants via reproduction. However, sex-dependent differences could be identified for hexachlorobenzene, PBDEs, and were most remarkable for PFCs. This transfer of contaminants to the gonads in both male and female herring is being underestimated, as it may directly affect the general reproduction success as well as the healthy development of the next generation. Hence, the accumulation of contaminants in the gonads should be considered one possible threat to a healthy wildlife as its achievement is stated by the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Inclusion of a periodic monitoring of POP concentrations in gonads of fish may be an important bioeffect measure to assess the environmental status of biota in the Baltic Sea.

Soil contamination with heavy metals and organicpollutants has increasingly become a serious global environmental issue in recent years. Considerable efforts have been made to remediate contaminated soils. Biochar has a large surface area, and high capacity to adsorb heavy metals and organicpollutants. Biochar can potentially be used to reduce the bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals and organicpollutants in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. Biochar is typically an alkaline material which can increase soil pH and contribute to stabilization of heavy metals. Application of biochar for remediation of contaminated soils may provide a new solution to the soil pollution problem. This paper provides an overview on the impact of biochar on the environmental fate and mobility of heavy metals and organicpollutants in contaminated soils and its implication for remediation of contaminated soils. Further research directions are identified to ensure a safe and sustainable use of biochar as a soil amendment for remediation of contaminated soils.

Springtime trans-Pacific transport of Asian air pollutants has been investigated in many ways to figure out its mechanism. Based on the Western Pacific (WP) pattern, one of climate variabilities in the Northern Hemisphere known to be associated with the pattern of atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific Ocean, in this study, we characterize the pattern of springtime trans-Pacific transport using long-term satellite measurements and reanalysis datasets. A positive WP pattern is characterized by intensification of the dipole structure between the northern Aleutian Low and the southern Pacific High over the North Pacific. The TOMS/OMI Aerosol Index (AI) and MOPITT CO show the enhancement of Asian pollutant transport across the Pacific during periods of positive WP pattern, particularly between 40 and 50°N. This enhancement is confirmed by high correlations of WP index with AI and CO between 40 and 50°N. To evaluate the influence of the WP pattern, we examine several cases of trans-Pacific transport reported in previous research. Interestingly, most trans-Pacific transport cases are associated with the positive WP pattern. During the period of negative WP pattern, reinforced cyclonic wave breaking is consistently found over the western North Pacific, which obstructs zonal advection across the North Pacific. However, some cases show the trans-Pacific transport of CO in the period of negative WP pattern, implying that the WP pattern is more influential on the transport of particles mostly emitted near ∼40°N. This study reveals that the WP pattern can be utilized to diagnose the strength of air pollutant transport from East Asia to North America.

Presents the material given in one class period in a course on Environmental Studies at Chesterfield School, England. The topics covered include air pollution, water pollution, fertilizers, and insecticides. (JR)

Presents the material given in one class period in a course on Environmental Studies at Chesterfield School, England. The topics covered include air pollution, water pollution, fertilizers, and insecticides. (JR)

The high levels of persistent organicpollutants have caused concern about human health, especially the health of the foetus and newborn child. This has especially been the case for Greenlandic and Canadian Inuits, where elevated levels of PCB and p,p'-DDE have been reported. In recent studies from arctic Russia the levels of beta-HCH and the DDT-group have been reported to be high, whereas the levels of PCB are low. However, the information from Northern Russia is, so far, incomplete. In this study, 27 delivering women from the city of Arkhangelsk, Russia, participated. They completed a questionnaire before delivery and plasma samples were collected after delivery. The analytical method developed to support this study involved gel permeation chromatography and silica gel purification, in addition to a traditional GC-MS method, and thus include acid labile compounds. The arithmetic mean levels of p,p'-DDE, beta-HCH and p,p'-DDT were 5.42, 3.59 and 1.17 microg/l, respectively. Toxaphene 26 and 50 were the only toxaphenes above the limit of detection, with arithmetic mean levels of 0.05 and 0.09 microg/l, respectively. Among the PCB congeners, PCB 138/163 was the most abundant with an arithmetic mean of 0.53 microg/l. The elevated levels of beta-HCH and p,p'-DDT as well as a low DDE/DDT ratio is a strong indication of fresh and maybe local sources in this area.

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are lipophilic compounds that travel with lipids and accumulate mainly in adipose tissue. Recent human evidence links low-dose POPs to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Because humans are contaminated by POP mixtures and POPs possibly have nonmonotonic dose-response relations with T2D, critical methodological issues arise in evaluating human findings. This review summarizes epidemiological results on chlorinated POPs and T2D, and relevant experimental evidence. It also discusses how features of POPs can affect inferences in humans. The evidence as a whole suggests that, rather than a few individual POPs, background exposure to POP mixtures—including organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls—can increase T2D risk in humans. Inconsistent statistical significance for individual POPs may arise due to distributional differences in POP mixtures among populations. Differences in the observed shape of the dose-response curves among human studies may reflect an inverted U-shaped association secondary to mitochondrial dysfunction or endocrine disruption. Finally, we examine the relationship between POPs and obesity. There is evidence in animal studies that low-dose POP mixtures are obesogenic. However, relationships between POPs and obesity in humans have been inconsistent. Adipose tissue plays a dual role of promoting T2D and providing a relatively safe place to store POPs. Large prospective studies with serial measurements of a broad range of POPs, adiposity, and clinically relevant biomarkers are needed to disentangle the interrelationships among POPs, obesity, and the development of T2D. Also needed are laboratory experiments that more closely mimic real-world POP doses, mixtures, and exposure duration in humans. PMID:24483949

Atmospheric transport of black carbon (BC) from surrounding areas has been shown to impact the Tibetan environment, and clarifying the geographical source and receptor regions is crucial for providing guidance for mitigation actions. In this study, 10 trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sampled across Tibet are chosen as proxies to diagnose source regions and related transport of pollutants to Tibet. The levels of these VOCs in Tibet are higher than those in the Arctic and Antarctic regions but much lower than those observed at many remote and background sites in Asia. The highest VOC level is observed in the eastern region, followed by the southern region and the northern region. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model found that three factors-industry, biomass burning, and traffic-present different spatial distributions, which indicates that different zones of Tibet are influenced by different VOC sources. The average age of the air masses in the northern and eastern regions is estimated to be 3.5 and 2.8 days using the ratio of toluene to benzene, respectively, which indicates the foreign transport of VOC species to those regions. Back-trajectory analyses show that the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Tajikistan region, Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), and Meghalaya-Myanmar region could transport industrial VOCs to different zones of Tibet from west to east. The agricultural bases in northern India could transport biomass burning-related VOCs to the middle-northern and eastern zones of Tibet. High traffic along the unique national roads in Tibet is associated with emissions from local sources and neighboring areas. Our study proposes international joint-control efforts and targeted actions to mitigate the climatic changes and effects associated with VOCs in Tibet, which is a climate sensitive region and an important source of global water.

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are lipophilic compounds that travel with lipids and accumulate mainly in adipose tissue. Recent human evidence links low-dose POPs to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Because humans are contaminated by POP mixtures and POPs possibly have nonmonotonic dose-response relations with T2D, critical methodological issues arise in evaluating human findings. This review summarizes epidemiological results on chlorinated POPs and T2D, and relevant experimental evidence. It also discusses how features of POPs can affect inferences in humans. The evidence as a whole suggests that, rather than a few individual POPs, background exposure to POP mixtures-including organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls-can increase T2D risk in humans. Inconsistent statistical significance for individual POPs may arise due to distributional differences in POP mixtures among populations. Differences in the observed shape of the dose-response curves among human studies may reflect an inverted U-shaped association secondary to mitochondrial dysfunction or endocrine disruption. Finally, we examine the relationship between POPs and obesity. There is evidence in animal studies that low-dose POP mixtures are obesogenic. However, relationships between POPs and obesity in humans have been inconsistent. Adipose tissue plays a dual role of promoting T2D and providing a relatively safe place to store POPs. Large prospective studies with serial measurements of a broad range of POPs, adiposity, and clinically relevant biomarkers are needed to disentangle the interrelationships among POPs, obesity, and the development of T2D. Also needed are laboratory experiments that more closely mimic real-world POP doses, mixtures, and exposure duration in humans.

In this study, the presence and concentration of persistent organicpollutants (POP) were assessed in surface sediments collected from a wide variety of wetlands located throughout the Mekong Basin in Myanmar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Of the 39 POPs tested in 531 sediment samples, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites endosulfan, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and endrin were most commonly detected. Even though DDT was banned in the 1990s, some use of DDT may still be occurring in the Mekong Basin. The amount of metabolites for DDT—dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD)—found, however, suggests that use of DDT is on the decline throughout the region. HCB and endrin were found distributed broadly throughout the Mekong Basin but not in high amounts. The concentration and distribution of endosulfan and its metabolites represent a serious problem requiring further study and management action. While the total loading of POPs in wetland sediments of the Mekong Basin was generally low, hotspot sites occurred where concentrations exceeded established ecological risk thresholds. For example, wetlands of the open, dry dipterocarp forest of northern Cambodia and Vietnam as well as wetlands in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam contained high concentrations of some POPs. High concentrations of POPs were detected in some wetlands important for biodiversity conservation. Hotspots identified in wetlands such as the Tonle Sap not only had concentrations of DDT and DDE that exceeded Canadian and U.S. benchmarks, but fauna sampled in the area also showed high degrees of bioaccumulation of the same substances. Further and more extensive attention to monitoring POP presence in water birds, fish, and other aquatic organisms is warranted because of the bioaccumulation of these chemicals at higher levels in the food chain. This study represents a collaboration of eight universities from

Groundwater represents one of the most important sources of potable water for many public water supplies in the world. The benefits of these valuable water reservoirs are being reduced however, due to the increasing infiltration of both inorganic and organicpollutants from different sources such as wastewaters, polluted freshwaters, contaminated soils, sanitary landfills, and industrial dumping sites. Therefore, investigations of pollutant migration and persistence in groundwaters are of great significance for groundwater protection strategies. The study of organicpollutants is perhaps the most complex issue in groundwater pollution chemistry. The extremely high number of possible organicpollutants as well as the severe ecotoxicological effects of specific organic compounds make the assessment of water quality and long term pollution trends in the aquifer very difficult. The application of the computer-assisted high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy in the last decade has extended our knowledge about the occurrence of specific organicpollutants in groundwaters and processes that determine their transport and transformation.

The site explains the importance of the Stockholm Convention, a legally binding international agreement finalized in 2001, in which governments agreed to act to reduce or eliminate the production, use, and/or release of certain of these pollutants.

We examined serum levels of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) among geographical regions of the United States as defined by the US Census Bureau. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for adults aged 20 years and older are presented for selected survey periods between 1999 and 2010. From NHANES 1999 through 2004, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) concentration levels were consistently higher among people living in the West than in the Midwest, Northeast, or South. In 2003–2010, perfluorinated compound concentrations tended to be highest in the South. The sum of 35 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners was significantly higher in the Northeast [GM: 189; 95% CI: 173–204 ng/g lipid] than the remaining regions. The regional differences in higher body burdens of exposure to particular POPs could be attributed to a variety of activities, including region-specific patterns of land use and industrial and agricultural chemical applications, as well as different levels of regulatory activity. PMID:26839572

The California Air Resources Board funded a statewide survey of activity patterns of Californians over 11 years of age in order to improve the accuracy of exposure assessments for air pollutants. Telephone interviews were conducted with 1762 respondents over the four seasons from fall 1987 through summer 1988. In addition to completing a 24-h recall diary of activities and locations, participants also responded to questions about their use of and proximity to potential pollutant sources. Results are presented regarding time spent by Californians in different activities and locations relevant to pollutant exposure, and their frequency of use of or proximity to pollutant sources including cigarettes, consumer products such as paints and deodorizers, combustion appliances and motor vehicles. The results show that Californians spend, on average, 87% of their time indoors, 7% in enclosed transit and 6% outdoors. At least 62% of the population over 11 years of age and 46% of nonsmokers are near others' tobacco smoke at some time during the day. Potential exposure to different pollutant sources appears to vary among different gender and age groups. For example, women are more likely to use or be near personal care products and household cleaning agents, while men are more likely to be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, solvents and paints. Data from this study can be used to reduce significantly the uncertainty associated with risk assessments for many pollutants.

Among anthropogenic pressures, light pollution altering light/dark cycles and changing the nocturnal component of the environment constitutes a threat for biodiversity. Light pollution is widely spread across the world and continuously growing. However, despite the efforts realized to describe and understand the effects of artificial lighting on fauna, few studies have documented its consequences on biological rhythms, behavioral and physiological functions in nocturnal mammals. To determine the impacts of light pollution on nocturnal mammals an experimental study was conducted on a nocturnal primate, the grey mouse lemur Microcebus murinus. Male mouse lemurs (N = 8) were exposed 14 nights to moonlight treatment and then exposed 14 nights to light pollution treatment. For both treatments, chronobiological parameters related to locomotor activity and core temperature were recorded using telemetric transmitters. In addition, at the end of each treatment, the 14th night, nocturnal and feeding behaviors were explored using an infrared camera. Finally, throughout the study, body mass and daily caloric food intake were recorded. For the first time in a nocturnal primate, light pollution was demonstrated to modify daily rhythms of locomotor activity and core temperature especially through phase delays and increases in core temperature. Moreover, nocturnal activity and feeding behaviors patterns were modified negatively. This study suggests that light pollution induces daily desynchronization of biological rhythms and could lead to seasonal desynchronization with potential deleterious consequences for animals in terms of adaptation and anticipation of environmental changes. PMID:24236115

Among anthropogenic pressures, light pollution altering light/dark cycles and changing the nocturnal component of the environment constitutes a threat for biodiversity. Light pollution is widely spread across the world and continuously growing. However, despite the efforts realized to describe and understand the effects of artificial lighting on fauna, few studies have documented its consequences on biological rhythms, behavioral and physiological functions in nocturnal mammals. To determine the impacts of light pollution on nocturnal mammals an experimental study was conducted on a nocturnal primate, the grey mouse lemur Microcebus murinus. Male mouse lemurs (N = 8) were exposed 14 nights to moonlight treatment and then exposed 14 nights to light pollution treatment. For both treatments, chronobiological parameters related to locomotor activity and core temperature were recorded using telemetric transmitters. In addition, at the end of each treatment, the 14(th) night, nocturnal and feeding behaviors were explored using an infrared camera. Finally, throughout the study, body mass and daily caloric food intake were recorded. For the first time in a nocturnal primate, light pollution was demonstrated to modify daily rhythms of locomotor activity and core temperature especially through phase delays and increases in core temperature. Moreover, nocturnal activity and feeding behaviors patterns were modified negatively. This study suggests that light pollution induces daily desynchronization of biological rhythms and could lead to seasonal desynchronization with potential deleterious consequences for animals in terms of adaptation and anticipation of environmental changes.

Semivolatile persistent organicpollutants (POP) are bioaccumulative and toxic contaminants. Their global distribution depends on source distribution, atmospheric transport, degradation, and the exchange with ocean and land surfaces. Forests are crucial terrestrial reservoirs due to the commonly envisaged high capacity of their surface soils to store and immobilize airborne contaminants bound to soil organic matter. Our results show that POPs can be unexpectedly mobile in the soil of a tropical rainforest due to fast litter turnover (leading to rapid POP transfer to the subsoil) and leaching rates exceeding degradation rates especially for more hydrophobic congeners. Co-transport in association with leaching fine particulate and dissolved organic matter appears as a relevant driver of this PCB export. A markedly different distribution pattern is displayed in this soil in comparison to soils of colder environments with lower overall storage capacity. These findings show that biogeochemistry of organic matter degradation and weathering can influence POP soil fate. Because tropical forests represent 60% of the global terrestrial productivity, the highlighted dynamics might have an implication for the general distribution of these contaminants.

Contamination and accumulation of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in the Arctic, an area previously considered as pristine and removed from human influence, has become a growing concern. Volatile and semi-volatile contaminants from lower latitudes are transported to the Arctic through a process known as global distillation. The polar regions are unique in that they sit in darkness during the winter until polar sunrise. These conditions allow pollutants to accumulate during winter and then undergo 24-hours of continuous irradiance in sunlit conditions. Photochemical degradation may thus be an important pathway to consider in the spring/summer Arctic season. Additionally, active photochemistry has also been observed in mid-latitude snowpacks. However, the potential photodegradation of anthropogenic contaminants in mid-latitude snow has received little attention in the literature. Aldrin, a once globally distributed pesticide, is of particular environmental concern due to its low solubility in water, known persistence in the environment, and its ability to degrade into environmentally persistent products. To investigate the potential photochemical degradation of aldrin, samples of aqueous aldrin solution (20 µg/L), in liquid and frozen phases, were irradiated under Q-Panel 340 lamps to simulate the UV radiation profile of natural sunlight. Following irradiation, samples were extracted with organic solvent containing an internal standard for GC-ECD analysis. Results indicated that frozen samples degrade more quickly than liquid samples. Photochemical half lives for frozen and liquid samples were found to be approximately 13.5 hours and 45 hours respectively. It was found that the addition of natural organic matter increased the aldrin degradation rate significantly. Ongoing studies will further evaluate the differences in liquid and frozen reactivity and the influence of different sources of natural organic matter.

Knowledge about the effects of oxygen concentration, nutrient availability and moisture content on removal of organic micro-pollutants during aerobic composting is at present very limited. Impact of oxygen concentration, readily available nitrogen content (NH4(+), NO3(-)), and moisture content on biological transformation of 15 key organic micro-pollutants during composting, was therefore investigated using bench-scale degradation experiments based on non-sterile compost samples, collected at full-scale composting facilities. In addition, the adequacy of bench-scale composting experiments for representing full-scale composting conditions, was investigated using micro-pollutant concentration measurements from both bench- and full-scale composting experiments. Results showed that lack of oxygen generally prevented transformation of organic micro-pollutants. Increasing readily available nitrogen content from about 50 mg N per 100 g compost to about 140 mg N per 100 g compost actually reduced micro-pollutant transformation, while changes in compost moisture content from 50% to 20% by weight, only had minor influence on micro-pollutant transformation. First-order micro-pollutant degradation rates for 13 organic micro-pollutants were calculated using data from both full- and bench-scale experiments. First-order degradation coefficients for both types of experiments were similar and ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 d(-1) on average, indicating that if a proper sampling strategy is employed, bench-scale experiments can be used to represent full-scale composting conditions.

In Mexico, a country with a great variety of climates and topological conditions, pollution on insulators is considered a major cause of power system outages. A research program was developed to investigate this problem. In this paper, the research related to the analysis of field data is presented. As a result of this analysis, a clustering of test sites was obtained. Each group is characterized by patterns which define the process of accumulation of contaminants on insulators. The exposure periods for assessment of pollution severity are given.

As a huge threat to the public health, China’s air pollution has attracted extensive attention and continues to grow in tandem with the economy. Although the real-time air quality report can be utilized to update our knowledge on air quality, questions about how pollutants evolve across time and how pollutants are spatially correlated still remain a puzzle. In view of this point, we adopt the PMFG network method to analyze the six pollutants’ hourly data in 350 Chinese cities in an attempt to find out how these pollutants are correlated temporally and spatially. In terms of time dimension, the results indicate that, except for O3, the pollutants have a common feature of the strong intraday patterns of which the daily variations are composed of two contraction periods and two expansion periods. Besides, all the time series of the six pollutants possess strong long-term correlations, and this temporal memory effect helps to explain why smoggy days are always followed by one after another. In terms of space dimension, the correlation structure shows that O3 is characterized by the highest spatial connections. The PMFGs reveal the relationship between this spatial correlation and provincial administrative divisions by filtering the hierarchical structure in the correlation matrix and refining the cliques as the tinny spatial clusters. Finally, we check the stability of the correlation structure and conclude that, except for PM10 and O3, the other pollutants have an overall stable correlation, and all pollutants have a slight trend to become more divergent in space. These results not only enhance our understanding of the air pollutants’ evolutionary process, but also shed lights on the application of complex network methods into geographic issues. PMID:28832599

This work compares the ability of hexane and chloroform with methanol (C/M) to extract lipid, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and p,p{prime}-DDE from white croaker (Geneonus lineatus) muscle tissue. Hexane extracted on average 25% of the lipid and 73% of the PCB congeners that were extracted by C/M. Both solvents extracted similar quantities of p,p{prime}-DDE. Consequently, PCB and p,p{prime}-DDE lipid-normalized concentrations using hexane values were 2.9 and 3.9 times greater than with C/M values, and greater than fivefold differences are possible using hexane lipid values with C/M pollutant values. Because the solvents primarily extract different lipid pools, the results conceivably approximate the largest lipid-normalized pollutant concentration differences obtainable using common solvents. The differences suggest that lipid-normalized pollutant concentrations in fish muscle tissue will vary among studies without a standardized total lipid method, but more research is required to better identify complex neutral pollutant and lipid relationships before a final standard methodology can be selected. In the interim, the authors recommend that the Bligh-Dyer method with C/M be used to obtain total lipid for lipid-normalizing pollutant concentrations. If another solvent or system is used, the C/M extraction should be conducted on representative samples to allow for interconversion of lipid results.

The electrochemical mineralization of organicpollutants is a new technology for treatment of dilute wastewater (COD < 5 g/L). In this method, utilizing the electrical energy, a complete oxidation of pollutants can be achieved on high oxidation power anodes. An ideal anode for this type of treatment is a boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD) characterized by a high reactivity toward organics oxidation. In the present work, both thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of organics mineralization are discussed. The proposed theoretical kinetic model of organics mineralization on BDD anodes is in excellent agreement with the experimental results. In addition, the economical aspect of electrochemical organics mineralization is reported.

Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope signatures in growing hair reveal that while some British Columbia grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) rely entirely on terrestrial foods, others switch in late summer to returning Pacific salmon (Oncorynchus spp.). Implications for persistent organicpollutant (POP) concentrations and patterns measured in the two feeding groups of grizzly bears were profound. While the bears consuming a higher proportion of terrestrial vegetation ("interior" grizzlies) exhibited POP patterns dominated bythe more volatile organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the heavier polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs: e.g., BDE-209), the bears consuming salmon were dominated by the more bioaccumulative POPs (e.g., DDT, chlordanes, and BDE-47). The ocean-salmon-bear pathway appeared to preferentially select for those contaminants with intermediate partitioning strength from water into lipid (log Kow approximately 6.5). This pattern reflects an optimum contaminant log Kow range for atmospheric transport, deposition into the marine environment, uptake into marine biota, accumulation through the food web, and retention in the bear tissues. We estimate that salmon deliver 70% of all OC pesticides, up to 85% of the lower brominated PBDE congeners, and 90% of PCBs found in salmon-eating grizzly bears, thereby inextricably linking these terrestrial predators to contaminants from the North Pacific Ocean.

It is well established that ice is a reactive medium in the environment and that active photochemistry occurs in frozen systems. Snow and ice contain a number of absorbing species including nitrate, peroxide and organic matter. Upon irradiation, they can generate a variety of reactive intermediates such as hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen. It has been shown that dissolved organic matter is a ubiquitous component of snow and ice and plays an important role in overall light absorption properties of the sample. Additionally, the reactive intermediates produced can further react with contaminants present and alter their fate in the environment. Unfortunately, the role of dissolved organic matter in ice photochemistry has received little attention. Here we present results from laboratory-based studies aimed at elucidating the role of dissolved organic matter photochemistry on contaminant degradation in ice. Aqueous samples of our target pollutant, aldrin (20 μg/L), in liquid and frozen phases, were irradiated under Q-Panel 340 lamps to simulate the UV radiation profile of natural sunlight. Results indicated that frozen samples degraded more quickly than liquid samples and that the addition of dissolved organic matter increases the aldrin degradation rate significantly. Both terrestrial (Suwannee River, U.S.) and microbial sources (Pony Lake, Antarctica) of DOM were able to sensitize aldrin loss in ice. Scavengers of singlet oxygen, such as furfuryl alcohol and β-carotene, were also added to DOM solutions. Based on the type of organic matter present, the scavengers had different effects on the photochemical degradation of aldrin. Our results indicate that natural organic matter present in ice is an important component of ice photochemical processes.

Dubai Creek is a tidal marine intrusion bisecting Dubai within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The creek extends 14km inland from its opening into the Arabian Gulf, with a narrow lower creek channel leading to a lagoon section in the upper creek. The creek contains numerous sources of organicpollution including sewage outlet flows and boat waste. A survey of the creek was performed, assessing organicpollution, water properties, and the benthic macrofaunal community. The upper creek was heavily polluted with macrofauna communities commonly associated with organicpollution and eutrophication, while the lower creek contained low pollution and relatively healthy macrofauna communities. There is little net tidal flow of water within the creek and residence time in the lagoon is high, which may account for the high organicpollution levels. However, some evidence of the pollution effect moving into the lower creek was found. The results are considered in light of current and historic organic loading within the creek and future developments in the area.

In a process called phytoremediation, plants can be used to extract, detoxify, and/or sequester toxic pollutants from soil, water, and air. Phytoremediation may become an essential tool in cleaning the environment and reducing human and animal exposure to potential carcinogens and other toxins. Arabidopsis has provided useful information about the genetic, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms behind phytoremediation, and it is an excellent model genetic organism to test foreign gene expression. This review focuses on Arabidopsis studies concerning: 1) the remediation of elemental pollutants; 2) the remediation of organicpollutants; and 3) the phytoremediation genome. Elemental pollutants include heavy metals and metalloids (e.g., mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic) that are immutable. The general goal of phytoremediation is to extract, detoxify, and hyperaccumulate elemental pollutants in above-ground plant tissues for later harvest. A few dozen Arabidopsis genes and proteins that play direct roles in the remediation of elemental pollutants are discussed. Organicpollutants include toxic chemicals such as benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, polychlorinated biphenyls, trichloroethylene, trinitrotoluene, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. Phytoremediation of organicpollutants is focused on their complete mineralization to harmless products, however, less is known about the potential of plants to act on complex organic chemicals. A preliminary survey of the Arabidopsis genome suggests that as many as 700 genes encode proteins that have the capacity to act directly on environmental pollutants or could be modified to do so. The potential of the phytoremediation proteome to be used to reduce human exposure to toxic pollutants appears to be enormous and untapped. PMID:22303204

This study investigated the sorption potential of hydrochars, produced from hydrothermally carbonizing livestock wastes, towards organicpollutants (OPs) with a wide range of hydrophobicity, and compared their sorption capacity with that of pyrochars obtained from conventional dry pyrolysis from the...

In this study, three classification techniques (self-organizing maps, hierarchical cluster analysis and discriminant analysis) were applied to identify spatial water pollution levels, temporal water quality response delay phenomena (WQRDP), source pollution types (point, urban non-point, or agricultural non-point). Two models (principal components analysis (PCA), and positive matrix factorization (PMF)) were used to do the further quantitative source apportionment studying. The 27 inflow rivers in spatial were divided into three pollution levels (A, high; B, medium; C, low). The primary pollutionpattern in spatial Clusters A, B, and C were point, urban non-point and agricultural non-point separately, in consideration of simultaneous land use types. Source apportionment results identified five typical factors in spatial Cluster A and six typical factors in spatial Cluster B and C as responsible for the data structure, explaining 80%-90% of the total variance of the dataset.

Persistent organicpollutants are of great concern because of their long residence time and long-range transport potential in the environment and because they are readily bioaccumulated along food chains and toxic for wildlife and humans. A multicompartment model is used to study global-scale and long term chemodynamics of anthropogenic organic substances in the Earth system. Model components are the atmosphere (ECHAM5) and ocean general circulation models (MPIOM), which include dynamic sub-models for atmospheric aerosols and the marine biogeochemistry, two-dimensional surface compartments (topsoil, vegetation surfaces, ice, and temporal snow cover) and intercompartmental mass exchange process parameterisations [1-3]. The transports into and out of the Arctic (66° N) are characterized for 1950-2000 under one realisation of present-day climate [4-5] and for 2001-2100 under one realisation of future climate (greenhouse gas emission scenario A1B of IPCC-AR4). Despite decaying primary emissions (since decades) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodimephenyltrichloromethane (DDT) are continuing to accumulate in the Arctic, which is fed by atmospheric transports. The main regions of import (and export) are identified and the vertical distribution and seasonalities are characterized. Changes by the end of the 21st century are discussed in the context of a major teleconnection, i.e. the Arctic Oscillation. References [1] Guglielmo F, Lammel G, Maier-Reimer E: Global environmental cycling of DDT and ?-HCH in the 1980s - a study using a coupled atmosphere and ocean general circulation model. Chemosphere 76 (2009) 1509-1517 [2] Stemmler I, Lammel G: Cycling of DDT in the global oceans 1950-2002: World ocean returns the pollutant. Geophys. Res. Lett. 36 (2009) L24602 [3] Hofmann L, Stemmler I, Lammel G: The impact of organochlorines cycling in the cryosphere on their global distributions and fate - 2. Land ice and temporary snow cover. Environ. Pollut. 162 (2012) 482

There is no doubt that the aquatic environments receive large quantities of chemicals as consequence of human activities and that those substances have a detrimental effect on human health. Despite the obvious need for effective disposal of these substances, we need to understand and prevent the outcome of harmful environmental exposures. Thus, we need biomarkers and bioindicators to advance our understanding to these harmful exposures and their biological effects. In the last three decades a large number of publications has suggested that aquatic organisms and their parasites (mainly helminths and ciliate protozoans) are useful bioindicators of chemical pollution. However, the main weakness of this approach is that after exposure the population size of these parasites can increase or decrease without a consistent pattern. I suggest that this is in part due to the lack of focus on the correct spatial or temporal scales at which the environment is acting over our study object. Thus, I propose to use spatially explicit (= georeferenced) data for determining whether there is spatial structure in our study area. Spatial structure is the tendency of nearby samples to have attribute values more similar than those farther apart. These attributes are shaped by environmental variables acting at specific spatial and temporal scales. Thus, I suggest to consider these tools for determining the correct spatial or temporal scales of study, but also to record pollutant concentrations, bioindicators, biomarkers and parasites at individual host level. Combining this information with long-term monitoring programs is likely to improve our understanding of the effects of chemical pollutants over the aquatic environments.

Air pollution in the city is an important problem influencing environment, well-being of society, economy, management of urban zones, etc. The problem is extremely difficult due to a very complex distribution of the pollution sources, morphology of the city and dispersion processes leading to multivariate nature of the phenomena and high local spatial-temporal variability. The task of understanding, modelling and prediction of spatial-temporal patterns of air pollution in urban zones is an interesting and challenging topic having many research axes from science-based modelling to geostatistics and data mining. The present research mainly deals with a comprehensive exploratory analysis of spatial-temporal air pollution data using statistical, geostatistical and machine learning tools. This analysis helps to 1) understand and model spatial-temporal correlations using variography, 2) explore the temporal evolution of spatial correlation matrix; 3) analyse and visualize an interconnection between measurement stations using network science tools; 4) quantify the availability and predictability of structured patterns. The real data case study deals with spatial-temporal air pollution data of canton Geneva (2002-2011). Carbon dioxide (NO2) have caught our attention. It has effects on health: nitrogen dioxide can irritate the lungs, effects on plants; NO2 contributes to the phenomenon of acid rain. The negative effects of nitrogen dioxides on plants are reducing the growth, production and pesticide resistance. And finally the effects on materials: nitrogen dioxides increase the corrosion. Well-defined patterns of spatial-temporal correlations were detected. The analysis and visualization of spatial correlation matrix for 91 stations were carried out using the network science tools and high levels of clustering were revealed. Moving Window Correlation Matrix and Spatio-temporal variography methods were applied to define and explore the dynamic of our data. More than just

Recent studies have shown that many persistent organicpollutants (POPs, e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and various pesticides), are strongly associated with carbonaceous materials (including organic carbon (OC) and black carbon (BC)). We hypothesize that carbonaceous materials can be used as a first-order pollution index, to indicate areas where POP pollution may require further investigation. We tested our hypothesis and found that strong, positive correlations between BC and OC contents versus the concentrations of PCBs (and PAHs) existed in estuarine sediments of the Danshui River in 2005 and 2008. Thus, our preliminary results demonstrate that POC and BC are potential indicators of the POP pollution potential in fluvial sediments of the Danshui River in Taiwan. This innovative approach can provide a simple, relatively inexpensive and expedient means to monitor concentrations of POPs in polluted aquatic sediments of Taiwan, and/or those having a legacy of POP inputs. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The exposure to persistent pollutants such as organochlorine compounds (OCs) or metals has been associated with declines in top predator populations, which can accumulate high amounts of these pollutants from their prey. However, understanding how variation in OC and metal accumulation in wild species affects their biochemical and physiological responses is a big challenge, especially for endangered predators like the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata). This bird of prey is an interesting study model because the differences in diet composition among populations and territories can account for important pollutant uptake variations. We compared OC and metal accumulation in blood of Bonelli's eagle nestlings from three populations across Spain as a function of origin, age class (nestlings vs. adults), sex and number of siblings per nest, and related accumulation patterns to responses indicative of body condition, biochemistry and antioxidant status. Nestlings from Catalonia, the most industrialized area, showed the highest concentrations of PCBs and arsenic, and the lowest concentrations of zinc. The two former substances, together with DDTs, exerted an overall influence on nestling's physiology. PCBs and arsenic were associated with reduced retinol levels, pointing to oxidative damage in exposed individuals, which was also consistent with the low zinc levels in individuals from the polluted region. Increased plasma DDT levels were related to reduced body condition and lower levels of triglycerides. Mercury accumulation in Castile and Leon was higher in nestlings that were alone in the nest than in nestlings that shared it with a sibling; this suggests an increased mercury uptake from secondary prey in territories where preferred prey (i.e. rabbits) are scarce, which are also the territories where productivity is reduced. Overall, the results reveal a spatial variation in pollutant accumulation patterns and associated physiological effects, and suggest the major role

This article discusses the employment of organized workers in May 1980 with averages for the year ended in September 1984. Data indicate that the total number of U.S. workers rose while the number of employed workers who were members of unions or employee associations fell. Statistical tables and charts are included. (CT)

Biological patterns generated during development and regeneration often scale with organism size. Some organisms, e.g., flatworms, can regenerate a rescaled body plan from tissue fragments of varying sizes. Inspired by these examples, we introduce a generalization of Turing patterns that is self-organized and self-scaling. A feedback loop involving diffusing expander molecules regulates the reaction rates of a Turing system, thereby adjusting pattern length scales proportional to system size. Our model captures essential features of body plan regeneration in flatworms as observed in experiments.

This study aims to find out the relationship between synoptic weather patterns and the air quality in HK urban areas. The air pollutants in HK are mainly vehicular emissions. Therefore, in this study, NO{sub x} (NO + NO{sub 2}) was used as an indicator of the urban air quality. Three years record of NO{sub x} concentration was examined and high NO{sub x} episodes were selected. 70% of high NO{sub x} pollution episodes were found to be related to calm or light wind conditions. Under low wind speed and stable conditions, both horizontal and vertical dispersion of local air pollutants are prohibited, hence air pollutants accumulate to harmful levels. The synoptic weather patterns on the episode days associated with calm conditions were investigated. The authors; found that the existence of: (1) a tropical cyclone over the NW Pacific Ocean, and HK is under the influence of its periphery subsiding air; (2) a weak continental high-pressure system with central highest pressure less than 1030hPa; and (3) a low-pressure trough being close to HK, were likely to give rise to calm conditions and hence NO{sub X} episodes in urban areas.

With the development of society and economy, more and more automobile and vehicle run in the various roads. Car tail gas can not only pollute the air, but also can still result in the pollution of soil and ground water even underground water. Soil pollution coming from car tail gas is investigated in detail by experimental detection by Geofina Hydrocarbon Meter (GHM) made in Norway in this paper. Experiment samples are collected from thruway and highway side, and the organicpollutants of the samples are analyzed by the GHM instrument. Experiment shows that various kinds of organicpollutants are found in the samples, such as 14 species normal alkanes, 25 species aromatics, 13 species heteocycle compounds and 9 species phenols and so on. The characteristics of organicpollution resulted from car tail gas in the soil are obtained by detection analysis. The soil pollution caused by car tail gas has heavy toxicity to human being and the natural entironment. Consequently, organic contamination in the soil by the tail gas can't be neglected. The relevant investigation should be made so that some precautionary and cure measures may be proposed as soon as possible.

Soil micro-ecosystem including organicpollution characteristics, basic physicochemical parameters, and microbial properties was analyzed which contaminated with organicpollutants in coal mining area. Results showed that the organicpollution level in coal mining area soils distributed from 0.4 to 1.5 mg/g dry soil, which was 1. 5-6 times as much as the background sample. Furthermore, the column chromatography and GC-MS analysis revealed that content of lightly components including saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons exceeded 40%, specifically was alkenes (> C15), hydrocarbon derivatives, and a small amount aromatic hydrocarbons. Totally, the components of organicpollutants extracted in soils were similar to which in coal gangue samples, illustrating the source of soil pollution to a certain extent in coal mining areas. The physicochemical factors such as nutrient level and moisture contents were not conducive to the growth and reproduction of microbe except pH level, which might show inhibition to microbial activities. Microbial density of pollutant soils in coal mining areas was totally low, with specific amount 10(4)-10(5) cell/g dry soil and FDA activity 2.0-2.9 mg/(g x min). Generally, the microbial density and activity were decreased as the enhancing pollution level. However, in-depth analysis was needed urgently because of the complex impact of environmental conditions like pH, moisture, and nutrition.

species in 2003. The easternmost site is also the driest and has the most sunlight filtering to the forest floor, possibly accounting for the higher species richness. The confounding effects of the precipitation gradient and possibly local disturbances do not show a simple correlation of air pollution with patterns of native and invasive species cover and richness. Nevertheless, the decline of native species and dominance by exotic species in the two westernmost polluted sites is cause for concern that air pollution is affecting the understory vegetation adversely.

Many Earth Science archives are currently structured as the data are collected or calculated: individual files hold results for single time slices. This approach is easy to write while data are being collected or calculated and is optimized for viewing the data in latitude/longitude slices (maps or images) or animations of a series of these maps. It also works well for spatial comparisons of values at the same time. Several groups have recently explored approaches to reorganizing data in order to optimize access for analysis of climate variations, i.e. temporal changes at a given location. One approach, termed "data rods", takes this reorganization to the opposite end of the organization spectrum with a file for each grid cell time series. An alternative in the middle of the organization spectrum offers flexible access that can support either map or time series views. This approach takes advantage of chunking to divide the data into three-dimensional blocks, i.e. two-dimensional latitude/longitude tiles with a time dimension. This chunking approach is implemented as a core capability of the HDF5 file format and its tools and offers a number of advantages: improved multi-use case data access, integrated data compression, expanding or shrinking data dimensions, adding or deleting data, and simplifying data management by decreasing the number of files in each collection. We will provide real-world examples of these benefits using data products from current data archives.

Singlet molecular oxygen (1O2*), a reactive state of dissolved oxygen, is formed from a sensitizer chromophore that absorbs light and transfers energy to ground-state O2. The chemistry of 1O2* has been studied predominantly in surface waters and aqueous atmospheric drops, where 1O2* can be an important sink for electron-rich pollutants. In our recent work we have shown that 1O2* concentrations can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude on ice compared to in identical, but unfrozen, aqueous solutions. The goal of this work is to assess the potential importance of 1O2* to the decay of organicpollutants on ice in order to better understand pollutant cycling in the cryosphere. Using 549 nm radiation we illuminated liquid and bulk ice samples containing a 1O2* sensitizer (Rose Bengal), salt (NaCl), and an organicpollutant at a controlled temperature. Organic species were chosen to represent several chemical classes, including furans (furfuryl alcohol), phenols (bisphenol A), and amino acids (tryptophan). During illumination the decay of the pollutant was measured to determine the rate constant for loss by reaction with 1O2*. In all cases we observe enhanced loss of pollutants on ice relative to liquid samples. We will discuss how the magnitude of the ice-phase enhancement depends on the different pollutant classes, their aqueous solubility, and freezing point depression.

Four experiments relying on novelty and spontaneous preference procedures were performed to determine whether 3-4-month-old infants utilize the Gestalt principle of proximity to organize visual pattern information. In Experiment 1, infants familiarized with arrays of elements that could be organized into either columns or rows were tested for their preference between vertical and horizontal bars. The infants preferred the novel organization of bars. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that the novelty preference could not be attributed to an a priori preference or an inability to discriminate between the elements comprising the patterns. Experiment 4 replicated the results of Experiment 1 in a bars --> elements version of the task, indicating that extended exposure is not necessary for infants to organize based on proximity. The results suggest that infants readily organize visual pattern information in accord with proximity. Implications of this finding for models of the ontogenesis and microgenesis of object perception in infants and adults are discussed.

In this paper, the authors present a new global multimedia fate model that considers the influence of temperature on the environmental transport, degradation, and partitioning of persistent organicpollutants. The model consists of a variable number of latitudinal zones with specific annual temperature courses; each zone contains soil, oceanic surface water, and tropospheric air. The chemicals' degradation rates and Henry's law constants (H) are implemented as functions of temperature and the concentrations in the soil, water, and air compartments of each latitudinal zone are calculated as functions of time. The resulting temporal and spatial concentrations patterns are characterized by persistence and spatial range. Model calculations are carried out for tetrachloromethane, {alpha}-hexachlorocyclohexane ({alpha}-HCH), and murex, and the specific distribution patterns of these three chemicals are discussed. The model results show that the soil and water concentrations of the polar zones are strongly sensitive to changes of the latitudinal gradient of H and of washout ratios, adsorption to aerosol particles, and deposition rates.

Risk assessments of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are often based on octanol-water (KOW) partitioning dynamics and may not adequately reflect bioaccumulation in air-breathing organisms. It has been suggested that compounds with low KOW and high octanol-air partitioning (KOA) coefficients have the potential to bioaccumulate in air-breathing organisms, including marine mammals. Here we evaluate differences in concentrations of POPs for two trophically matched Arctic species, spotted seal (Phoca largha) and sheefish (Stenodus leucichthys). We compared concentrations of 108 POPs in matched tissues (liver and muscle) across three ranges of KOW. We found a significant positive correlation between POP concentration and log KOA in spotted seal tissues for low log KOW compounds (log KOW <5.5, p<0.05). This provides further evidence for empirical models and observed bioaccumulation patterns in air-breathing organisms, and highlights the potential for bioaccumulation of these compounds in Arctic marine mammals. PMID:26440545

Risk assessments of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are often based on octanol-water (KOW) partitioning dynamics and may not adequately reflect bioaccumulation in air-breathing organisms. It has been suggested that compounds with low KOW and high octanol-air partitioning (KOA) coefficients have the potential to bioaccumulate in air-breathing organisms, including marine mammals. Here we evaluate differences in concentrations of POPs for two trophically matched Arctic species, spotted seal (Phoca largha) and sheefish (Stenodus leucichthys). We compared concentrations of 108 POPs in matched tissues (liver and muscle) across three ranges of KOW. We found a significant positive correlation between POP concentration and log KOA in spotted seal tissues for low log KOW compounds (log KOW <5.5, p<0.05). This provides further evidence for empirical models and observed bioaccumulation patterns in air-breathing organisms, and highlights the potential for bioaccumulation of these compounds in Arctic marine mammals.

Current knowledge on environmental impacts of industrial activities in Romania, particularly persistent organicpollutants (POPs), indicates that environmental standards of the European Union are not systematically met. In our study area, additional sources of POPs are agriculture and domestic wastes. Very scarce information is available upon environmental contaminations and effects. In the present study, we investigated the chemical pollution and their eventual impact on the ecosystem by measuring POPs and by using biological indicators of pollution. The survey was carried out at six main sample sites along the Bahlui River. Sediments were chemically analysed for their content in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)-hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) isomers and the dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) family. River water was biologically monitored at the level of phytoplankton and benthic invertebrates' communities. Water samples from six locations have been analyzed for algal species composition and correspondence to various water quality indices. Biological samples have been taken from the same locations so as to calculate the macroinvertebrate indices. In the most polluted areas, as revealed by previous methods, toxicity was tested by exposing the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the cladoceran Daphnia magna to various dilutions of water sample. Important concentrations of POPs were identified only in sediments at river mouths (sites S5 and S6). Along the year, the sum of PCB concentrations ranged between 3 and 10 ng/g dw (S5), and between 4 and 26 ng/g dw (S6). Concentration of HCHs ranged between 0.4 and 3 ng/g dw (both S5 and S6) with a higher contribution of the gamma-HCH (30-70%), followed by beta-HCH (20-50%). The beta-HCH isomer was found at lower concentrations or even not detected in outer city sites. DDTs were found at higher concentrations than HCHs and ranged

Under current retrospective risk assessment framework, the total concentrations of organicpollutants in soils have been employed as the standard for over 30 years. The total concentrations reflect the overall accumulation in soils but tend to be overly conservative for assessing the ecological risks, where the bioavailability plays an important role. In this study, the bioavailability of organicpollutants in soils was evaluated using a stepwise and tiered classification method, namely the sequential ultrasonic extraction procedure (SEUP). The water-soluble and acid-soluble fractions extracted by the SEUP were the bioavailable fractions. The reliability and environmental relevance of the speciation method were examined with representative organicpollutants using the root uptake methods and the semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs). The plant uptake amounts corrected with weight were highly correlated with the bioavailable fractions (R(2) > 0.75). The amounts of the bioavailable fractions were negatively correlated with the logKow values (R(2) ranging from 0.71 to 0.77) of the organicpollutants and the contents of soil organic matter (R(2) ranging from 0.68 to 0.96). As a refinement of the current risk assessment framework, the SUEP that has proved to be a reliable and convenient is thus highly recommended for evaluating the bioavailability of organicpollutants in soils.

The degree of degradation of 12 organic compounds from various classes, comprising of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, was analyzed after hydrothermal treatment at 200°C for 4 or 16h, or 255°C for 16h. The reactions were conducted in water, aqueous H2SO4, or sucrose solution in aqueous H2SO4 as a representative matrix of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of wet biomasses. The impact of the sucrose-matrix, which formed during the HTC reaction as a solid hydrochar material and a complex pattern of dissolved organic matter in the aqueous phase, was found to be insignificant for the degree of conversion of most compounds. On the contrary, the degree of degradation of 2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2-chloronaphthalene and 3-chlorobiphenyl was enhanced when biomass was present. At high temperatures most of the pollutants were converted except for ibuprofen and chlorinated aromatics. Hydrothermal treatment of β-hexachlorocyclohexane and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane led to the formation of stable chlorinated aromatic intermediates.

The objective of this study was to develop a method for measuring the mobility of persistent organicpollutants in the solid phase of soils within the context of environmental pollution risk assessment. A new diffusive probe, purposely designed by adapting the diffusive gradient technique method, measures labile organic species by immobilizing them after diffusion through a thin deionized water layer. The measure of the mass accumulated is used to calculate the flow of pollutant from solid phase to pore water. Naphthalene was chosen as a model persistent organicpollutant. The probe was calibrated at different temperatures and was then tested in several microcosms at different porosity and reactivities with naphthalene (one clay soil, two sandy soils and one natural soil). The probe response showed good agreement with the expected different abilities of the solid phases in restoring the solution phase. The concentration of naphthalene in the pore water was well buffered by rapid equilibria with the solid phase in the investigated natural soil. In contrast, pore water concentration in the sandy soils decreased rapidly and the flow was slackened, especially for the sandy soil with finer particles. In clay, only a fraction of the total naphthalene content was present in the labile fraction, while the remaining was tightly bound and was not released to the pore water. Therefore, this first stage of testing points out that the diffusive gradient technique, if optimized, can properly quantify the mobility of organicpollutants in soil.

In the summer of 1997, we measured the aggregate exposures of nine preschool children, ages two to five years, to a suite of organic pesticides and other persistent organicpollutants that are commonly found in the home and school environment. The children attended either of t...

The adsorption of organicpollutants from super heavy oil wastewater (SHOW) by lignite activated coke (LAC) was investigated. Specifically, the effects of LAC adsorption on pH, BOD5/COD(Cr)(B/C), and the main pollutants before and after adsorption were examined. The removed organicpollutants were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Boehm titrations, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD). FTIR spectra indicated that organicpollutants containing -COOH and -NH2 functional groups were adsorbed from the SHOW. Boehm titrations further demonstrated that carboxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, and lactonic groups on the surface of the LAC increased. GC-MS showed that the removed main organic compounds are difficult to be degraded or extremely toxics to aquatic organisms. According to the results of LC-OCD, 30.37 mg/L of dissolved organic carbons were removed by LAC adsorption. Among these, hydrophobic organic contaminants accounted for 25.03 mg/L. Furthermore, LAC adsorption was found to increase pH and B/C ratio of the SHOW. The mechanisms of adsorption were found to involve between the hydrogen bonding and the functional groups of carboxylic, phenolic, and lactonic on the LAC surface. In summary, all these results demonstrated that LAC adsorption can remove bio-refractory DOCs, which is beneficial for biodegradation.

In the summer of 1997, we measured the aggregate exposures of nine preschool children, ages two to five years, to a suite of organic pesticides and other persistent organicpollutants that are commonly found in the home and school environment. The children attended either of t...

Conjugated polymers have been attracting more and more attention because they possess various novel electrical, magnetical, and optical properties, which render them useful in modern organic optoelectronic devices. Due to their organic nature, conjugated polymers are light-weight and can be fabricated into flexible appliances. Significant research efforts have been devoted to developing new organic materials to make them competitive with their conventional inorganic counterparts. It is foreseeable that when large-scale industrial manufacture of the devices made from organic conjugated polymers is feasible, they would be much cheaper and have more functions. On one hand, in order to improve the performance of organic optoelectronic devices, it is essential to tune their surface morphologies by techniques such as patterning. On the other hand, patterning is the routine requirement for device processing. In this review, the recent progress in the patterning of conjugated polymers for high-performance optoelectronic devices is summarized. Patterning based on the bottom-up and top-down methods are introduced. Emerging new patterning strategies and future trends for conventional patterning techniques are discussed.

Typical agricultural watershed was selected to study the interactions between soil matrix and non-point source P-pollutants in surface runoff under simulative conditions. The soil samples were taken in different spatial locations in this watershed and were under different degree of human disturbance. The results showed that the interactions between different soil matrix and phosphorus could be divided into three patterns:retention, release and combination of retention and release. Soil of retention pattern has strong adsorption capacity of phosphate and will retain phosphorus from polluted runoff. Soil of release pattern has significant desorption capacity of phosphate and will release phosphorus to the runoff. Soil of retention and release combination pattern will retain or release phosphorus according to the phosphate concentration in the polluted runoff. These results showed that soil matrix in different spatial locations in the agricultural watershed have different ecological functions and environmental values under the processing of natural conditions and human disturbance. From the view of occurrence of non-point source pollution, these soils could become the sink of pollutants as well as the source of pollutants. Under some conditions, there has a conversion between sink and source of them. These results are valuable for control of non-point source pollution on watershed level, identification of key source area of pollutants and improvement of efficiency of control measures.

A secure steganographic communication algorithm based on patterns evolving in a Beddington-de Angelis-type predator-prey model with self- and cross-diffusion is proposed in this paper. Small perturbations of initial states of the system around the state of equilibrium result in the evolution of self-organizingpatterns. Small differences between initial perturbations result in slight differences also in the evolving patterns. It is shown that the generation of interpretable target patterns cannot be considered as a secure mean of communication because contours of the secret image can be retrieved from the cover image using statistical techniques if only it represents small perturbations of the initial states of the system. An alternative approach when the cover image represents the self-organizingpattern that has evolved from initial states perturbed using the dot-skeleton representation of the secret image can be considered as a safe visual communication technique protecting both the secret image and communicating parties.

A method for treating soil contaminated by organic compounds wherein an ozone containing gas is treated with acid to increase the stability of the ozone in the soil environment and the treated ozone applied to the contaminated soil to decompose the organic compounds. The soil may be treated in situ or may be removed for treatment and refilled.

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter (PM) in air that is less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter, which has negative effects on air quality and human health. PM2.5 is the main pollutant source in haze occurring in Beijing, and it also has caused many problems in other cities. Previous studies have focused mostly on the relationship between land use and air quality, but less research has specifically explored the effects of urban landscape patterns on PM2.5. This study considered the rapidly growing and heavily polluted Beijing, China. To better understand the impact of urban landscape pattern on PM2.5 pollution, five landscape metrics including PLAND, PD, ED, SHEI, and CONTAG were applied in the study. Further, other data, such as street networks, population density, and elevation considered as factors influencing PM2.5, were obtained through RS and GIS. By means of correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression, the effects of landscape pattern on PM2.5 concentration was explored. The results showed that (1) at class-level, vegetation and water were significant landscape components in reducing PM2.5 concentration, while cropland played a special role in PM2.5 concentration; (2) landscape configuration (ED and PD) features at class-level had obvious effects on particulate matter; and (3) at the landscape-level, the evenness (SHEI) and fragmentation (CONTAG) of the whole landscape related closely with PM2.5 concentration. Results of this study could expand our understanding of the role of urban landscape pattern on PM2.5 and provide useful information for urban planning.

Dialysis membranes filled with hexane accumulate persistent lipophilic pollutants in a way similar to that of aquatic organisms. The uptake of low molecular weight (< 1000), lipophilic compounds seems to be a passive process governed by partitioning mechanisms. The technique may be used to confirm bioaccumulation mechanisms, to predict environmental hazards of bioavailable compounds, and to monitor lipophilic pollutants, especially in environments too severe for biological indicators to survive.

This article explores the applicability of fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy for estimating organicpollution in polluted rivers. The relationship between absorbance, fluorescence intensity, dissolved organic carbon, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and other water quality parameters were used to characterize and identify the origin and the spatial variability of the organicpollution in a highly polluted watershed. Analyses were performed for the Iguassu River, located in southern Brazil, with area about 2,700 km(2) and ∼3 million inhabitants. Samples were collect at six monitoring sites covering 107 km of the main river. BOD, COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration indicates a high input of sewage to the river. Specific absorbance at 254 and 285 nm (SUVA254 and A285/COD) did not show significant variation between sites monitored, indicating the presence of both dissolved compounds found in domestic effluents and humic and fulvic compounds derived from allochthonous organic matter. Correlations between BOD and tryptophan-like fluorescence peak (peak T2, r=0.7560, and peak T1, r=0.6949) and tyrosine-like fluorescence peak (peak B, r=0.7321) indicated the presence of labile organic matter and thus confirmed the presence of sewage in the river. Results showed that fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy provide useful information on pollution in rivers from critical watersheds and together are a robust method that is simpler and more rapid than traditional methods employed by regulatory agencies.

Toxicants and organic matter in river water have contrasting impacts on macrofauna. Through manipulations of both factors, their interactive effects on organisms were evaluated. This way, an attempt was made to clarify the presence or absence of pollution-"tolerant" and -"sensitive" species in rivers affected by mixed sources of pollution. Under controlled conditions, larval growth of the "tolerant" midge Chironomus riparius was measured in different types of river water containing varying levels of particles (obtained by selective filtration) and toxicants (either complex mixtures or metals). Exposure of first-instar larvae to water from the polluted rivers Meuse and Dommel revealed that growth was less inhibited by toxicant levels in river water than expected based on laboratory toxicity tests. Factors present in polluted river water stimulated growth of midges to such an extent that inhibiting effects of high toxicant concentrations were neutralized, and at low toxicant levels, were overcompensated for. It was found that particulate matter has great potential to reduce inhibiting effects of toxicants on C. riparius, not (only) by reducing the bioavailability of toxicants, but by serving as a supplementary, superior food source. The success of the "pollution-tolerant" midge was not explained by tolerance of this species to toxicants, but by its ability to take advantage of coinciding organic enrichment. It is hypothesized that the extent to which beneficial effects of organic compounds on organisms occur is species specific.

Abstract This article explores the applicability of fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy for estimating organicpollution in polluted rivers. The relationship between absorbance, fluorescence intensity, dissolved organic carbon, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and other water quality parameters were used to characterize and identify the origin and the spatial variability of the organicpollution in a highly polluted watershed. Analyses were performed for the Iguassu River, located in southern Brazil, with area about 2,700 km2 and ∼3 million inhabitants. Samples were collect at six monitoring sites covering 107 km of the main river. BOD, COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration indicates a high input of sewage to the river. Specific absorbance at 254 and 285 nm (SUVA254 and A285/COD) did not show significant variation between sites monitored, indicating the presence of both dissolved compounds found in domestic effluents and humic and fulvic compounds derived from allochthonous organic matter. Correlations between BOD and tryptophan-like fluorescence peak (peak T2, r=0.7560, and peak T1, r=0.6949) and tyrosine-like fluorescence peak (peak B, r=0.7321) indicated the presence of labile organic matter and thus confirmed the presence of sewage in the river. Results showed that fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy provide useful information on pollution in rivers from critical watersheds and together are a robust method that is simpler and more rapid than traditional methods employed by regulatory agencies. PMID:25469076

Composting has been demonstrated to be effective in degrading organicpollutants (OP) whose behaviour depends on the composting conditions, the microbial populations activated and interactions with organic matters. The fate of OP during composting involves complex mechanisms and models can be helpful tools for educational and scientific purposes, as well as for industrialists who want to optimise the composting process for OP elimination. A COP-Compost model, which couples an organic carbon (OC) module and an organicpollutant (OP) module and which simulates the changes of organic matter, organicpollutants and the microbial activities during the composting process, has been proposed and calibrated for a first set of OP in a previous study. The objectives of the present work were (1) to introduce the COP-Compost model from its convenient interface to a potential panel of users, (2) to show the variety of OP that could be simulated, including the possibility of choosing between degradation through co-metabolism or specific metabolism and (3) to show the effect of the initial characteristics of organic matter quality and its microbial biomass on the simulated results of the OP dynamic. In the model, we assumed that the pollutants can be adsorbed on organic matter according to the biochemical quality of the OC and that the microorganisms can degrade the pollutants at the same time as they degrade OC (by co-metabolism). A composting experiment describing two different (14)C-labelled organicpollutants, simazine and pyrene, were chosen from the literature because the four OP fractions simulated in the model were measured during the study (the mineralised, soluble, sorbed and non-extractable fractions). Except for the mineralised fraction of simazine, a good agreement was achieved between the simulated and experimental results describing the evolution of the different organic fractions. For simazine, a specific biomass had to be added. To assess the relative importance

Mediterranean rivers are characterized by highly variable hydrological regimes that are strongly dependent on the seasonal rainfall. Sediment transport is closely related to the occurrence of flash-floods capable to deliver enough kinetic energy to mobilize the bed and channel sediments. Contaminants accumulated in the sediments are likely to be mobilized as well during such events. However, whereas there are many studies characterizing contaminants in steady sediments, those devoted to the transport dynamics of suspended-sediment borne pollution are lacking. Here we examined the occurrence and transport of persistent organic microcontaminants present in the circulating suspended sediments during a controlled flushing flow in the low part of the River Ebro (NE Spain) 12 km downstream of a well-known contaminated hot-spot associated to a nearby chloro-alkali industry. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and semi-volatile organochlorine pollutants (DDT and related compounds, DDX; polychlorinated byphenils, PCBs; and other organochlorine compound, OCs) were measured in the particulate material by GC-MS and GC-MS/MS, using previously developed analytical methods. The concentration levels observed were compared to previously reported values in steady sediments in the same river and discussed on a regulatory perspective. Hydrographs and sedigraphs recorded showed a peak-flow of 1,300 m(3)s(-1) and a corresponding peak of suspended sediments of 315 mg L(-1). Combination of flow discharge, suspended sediments and pollutants' concentrations data allowed for quantifying the mass flows (mass per unit of time) and setting the load budgets (weight amount) of the different pollutants transported by the river during the monitored event. Mean mass-flows and total load values found were 20.2 mg s(-1) (400 g) for PAHs, 38 mg s(-1) (940 g) for DDX, 44 mg s(-1) (1,038 g) for PCBs and 8 mg s(-1) (200 g) for OCs. The dynamic pattern behavior of PAHs differs substantially to that of

Little is known about the effect of ocean fronts on pollutants dynamics, particularly organicpollutants. Since fronts are associated with convergent currents and productive fishing grounds, any possible convergence of pollutants at fronts would raise concerns. The focus here is on relatively persistent organicpollutants, POPs, as non-persistent organicpollutants are rarely found in the open ocean. Results from recent cruises in the Atlantic Ocean are examined for POP distributions across ocean fronts in (i) the Canary Current; (ii) the Gulf Stream; and (iii) the Amazon and Rio de la Plata Plumes. Few studies achieved a spatial resolution of 10-20 km, while most had 100-300 km between adjacent stations. The majority of the well-resolved studies measured perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which seem particularly well suited for frontal resolution. In the NE Atlantic, concentrations of PFCs sharply decreased between SW Europe and NW Africa upon crossing the Canary Current Front at 24-27°N. In the Western Atlantic, the PFC concentrations sharply increased upon entering the Amazon River Plume and Rio de la Plata Plume. In the NW Atlantic, concentrations of several pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are very high in Rhode Island Sound, decreasing to below detection limit in the open ocean. The more persistent and already phased-out polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) displayed elevated concentrations in the Gulf Stream and Rhode Island Sound, thereby highlighting the importance of ocean fronts, along-front currents, and cross-frontal transport for the dispersal of PCBs.

In river systems, understanding the contaminant transport processes occurring between the streambed and stream water is very important in predicting the fate of pollutants and their biological effects. In this study, a process-based multi-phase reactive transport model simulating the upwelling of Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) organicpollutants from contaminated streambed sediments under low-flow conditions and the biouptake of PBT organicpollutants by benthic organisms was developed. The physical exchange process occurring between the streams and streambeds was modeled using a modified advective pumping theory. The interaction of PBT organicpollutants with bed sediments was modeled using kinetic sorption and desorption mechanisms. A bioconcentration factor (BCF) equation was used to model the biouptake of PBT organicpollutants by benthic organisms. Simulation results indicate that the stream water contaminant concentration increases rapidly when the desorption of contaminants from the streambed increases. Additionally, increase in the desorption of contaminants from the streambed causes an increase in the biouptake of PBT organicpollutants by benthic organisms, since more contaminant is available for uptake by the organisms. The effect of nonlinear sorption/desorption on the release and biouptake of PBT organicpollutants was also evaluated using this model. This study demonstrated that the upwelling of PBT organicpollutants can be modeled using the modified advective pumping theory and sorption and desorption mechanisms. This process-based model provided the predictive capability to further study the transport mechanisms controlling the release of contaminants from polluted streambeds.

To investigate an epidemic of respiratory cancer in Armadale, central Scotland, its air pollution was studied. During a period of 18 months, low technology samplers were exposed at 47 sites in the town to monitor the local variations in contamination by atmospheric metals. The samplers were two types of lichen and two types of moss, one of each type being a transplant and the other an in situ sampler. Following each exposure, the comparability of the samplers' uptake and retention of the metals was assessed. The sources of the metals and the effects of environmental variables on the pollutionpatterns were investigated through statistical analyses of spatial and temporal trends in the data. The spatial patterns of the metals indicated the steel foundry in the town as the major source of most of the pollutants. The temporal patterns, although less statistically significant, suggested the pollution might have been affected by some meteorological factors and by the foundry's output, but not by the output of the other main industry in the town, i.e. a brickworks. The types of sampler showed a general similarity of pollutionpattern, but with some differences which indicated that some types of sampler were more suitable than others for particular forms of survey. Low technology sampling can provide information about short-distance and short-term changes in the patterns of airborne pollution by metals, thereby assisting the interpretation of epidemiological patterns of respiratory disease.

It is demonstrated that metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be replicated in a biomimetic fashion from protein patterns. Bendable, fluorescent MOF patterns are formed with micrometer resolution under ambient conditions. Furthermore, this technique is used to grow MOF patterns from fingerprint residue in 30 s with high fidelity. This technique is not only relevant for crime-scene investigation, but also for biomedical applications.

Air pollution is a serious problem in most urban areas around the world, which has a number of negative ecological and human health impacts. As a result, it's vitally important to detect and characterize air pollutants to protect the health of the urban environment and our citizens. An important early step in this process is ensuring that the air pollution monitoring network is properly designed to capture the patterns of pollution and that all social demographics in the urban population are represented. An important aspect in characterizing air pollutionpatterns is scale in space and time which, along with pattern and process relationships, is a key subject in the field of landscape ecology. Thus, using multiple landscape ecological methods, this dissertation research begins by characterizing and quantifying the multi-scalar patterns of ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan region. Results showed that pollutionpatterns are scale-dependent, O3 is a regionally-scaled pollutant at longer temporal scales, and PM10 is a locally-scaled pollutant with patterns sensitive to season. Next, this dissertation examines the monitoring network within Maricopa County. Using a novel multiscale indicator-based approach, the adequacy of the network was quantified by integrating inputs from various academic and government stakeholders. Furthermore, deficiencies were spatially defined and recommendations were made on how to strengthen the design of the network. A sustainability ranking system also provided new insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the network. Lastly, the study addresses the question of whether distinct social groups were experiencing inequitable exposure to pollutants - a key issue of distributive environmental injustice. A novel interdisciplinary method using multi-scalar ambient pollution data and hierarchical multiple regression models revealed environmental inequities between air pollutants and race, ethnicity

An experimental model was made on the improvement of sources water quality in the Huangpu River through the construction of a special aquatic ecosystem using ecological embankments. A 6 d retention time (RT) gave the highest removal rate capacity and benefit of micro-organicpollutants. Under these conditions, the removal rates were 70.5% atrazine, 57.7% dimethyl phthalate, 72.4% phthalic acid bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester, 62.4% diethyl phthalate, and 45.1% dibutyl phthalate. The varieties of micro-organicpollutants reduced from 51 to 28. In contrast, in the control pool with hard embankment, the removal rates only reached 40.2% atrazine, 42.9% dimethyl phthalate, 54.8% phthalic acid bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester, 52.0% diethyl phthalate, and 16.2% dibutyl phthalate. Through coordination of all constituent elements of special aquatic ecosystem, significant amounts of micro-organicpollutants were removed.

Long-alkyl chain functionalized poly(propylene imine) dendrimer, poly(ethylene imine) hyperbranched polymer, and beta-cyclodextrin derivatives, which are completely insoluble in water, have the property of encapsulating organicpollutants from water. Ceramic porous filters can be impregnated with these compounds resulting in hybrid organic/ inorganic filter modules. These hybrid filter modules were tested for the effective purification of water, by continuous filtration experiments, employing a variety of water pollutants. It has been established that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be removed very efficiently (more than 95%), and final concentrations of several ppb (microg/ L) are easily obtained. Representatives of the pollutant group of trihalogen methanes (THMs), monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTX), and pesticides (simazine) can also be removed (>80%), although the filters are saturated considerably faster in these cases.

Long range atmospheric transport and deposition is a significant introduction pathway of organicpollutants to remote oceanic regions, leading to their subsequent accumulation in marine organisms. Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) bioconcentrate in planktonic food webs and these exert a biogeochemical control on the regional and global cycling of POPs. Therefore, an important issue is to determine whether the anthropogenic chemical perturbation of the biosphere introduced by the myriad of organicpollutants present in seawater influences phytoplankton abundance and productivity. The results reported here from five sets of experiments performed in the NE Atlantic Ocean show that there is a toxic effect induced by trace levels of complex mixtures of organicpollutants on phytoplankton oceanic communities. The levels of single pollutant, such as phenanthrene and pyrene, at which lethality of phytoplankton is observed are high in comparison to field levels. Complex mixtures of organicpollutants, however, have an important toxic effect on phytoplankton abundances, viability and concentrations of Chlorophyll a at pollutant concentrations 20-40 folds those found in the open ocean. The toxicity of these complex mixtures of organicpollutants exceeds by 10(3) times the toxicity expected for a single pollutant. Therefore, our results point out the need for a systematic investigation of the influence of complex mixtures of organic hydrophobic pollutants to oceanic phytoplankton communities, a perturbation not accounted for on previous assessments of anthropogenic pressures in the marine environment.

Organicpollution of rivers by wastewater discharge from human activities negatively impacts people and ecosystems. Without treatment, pollution control relies on a combination of natural degradation and dilution by natural runoff to reduce downstream effects. We quantify here for the first time the global sanitation crisis through its impact on organic river pollution from the threats of (1) increasing wastewater discharge due to urbanization and intensification of livestock farming, and (2) reductions in river dilution capacity due to climate change and water extractions. Using in-stream Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as an overall indicator of organic river pollution, we calculate historical (2000) and future (2050) BOD concentrations in global river networks. Despite significant self-cleaning capacities of rivers, the number of people affected by organicpollution (BOD >5 mg/l) is projected to increase from 1.1 billion in 2000 to 2.5 billion in 2050. With developing countries disproportionately affected, our results point to a growing need for affordable wastewater solutions.

Fly ash, a relatively abundant and inexpensive material, is currently being investigated as an adsorbent for the removal of various organicpollutants from wastewater. The wastewater contains various types of phenolic compounds, such as chloro, nitro, amino, and other substituted compounds. Various types of pesticides, such as lindane, malathion, carbofuran, etc., and dyes, such as, methylene blue, crystal violet, malachite green, etc., are also present in the wastewater. These contaminants pollute the water stream. These organicpollutants, such as phenolic compounds, pesticides, and dyes, etc., can be removed very effectively using fly ash as adsorbent. This article presents a detailed review on the role of fly ash in the removal of organicpollutants from wastewater. Adsorption of various pollutants using fly ash has been reviewed. The adsorption mechanism and other influencing factors, favorable conditions, and competitive ions, etc., on the adsorption process have also been discussed in this paper. It is evident from the review that fly ash has demonstrated good removal capabilities for various organic compounds. 171 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.

Organicpollution of rivers by wastewater discharge from human activities negatively impacts people and ecosystems. Without treatment, pollution control relies on a combination of natural degradation and dilution by natural runoff to reduce downstream effects. We quantify here for the first time the global sanitation crisis through its impact on organic river pollution from the threats of (1) increasing wastewater discharge due to urbanization and intensification of livestock farming, and (2) reductions in river dilution capacity due to climate change and water extractions. Using in-stream Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as an overall indicator of organic river pollution, we calculate historical (2000) and future (2050) BOD concentrations in global river networks. Despite significant self-cleaning capacities of rivers, the number of people affected by organicpollution (BOD >5 mg/l) is projected to increase from 1.1 billion in 2000 to 2.5 billion in 2050. With developing countries disproportionately affected, our results point to a growing need for affordable wastewater solutions. PMID:28230079

Organicpollution of rivers by wastewater discharge from human activities negatively impacts people and ecosystems. Without treatment, pollution control relies on a combination of natural degradation and dilution by natural runoff to reduce downstream effects. We quantify here for the first time the global sanitation crisis through its impact on organic river pollution from the threats of (1) increasing wastewater discharge due to urbanization and intensification of livestock farming, and (2) reductions in river dilution capacity due to climate change and water extractions. Using in-stream Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as an overall indicator of organic river pollution, we calculate historical (2000) and future (2050) BOD concentrations in global river networks. Despite significant self-cleaning capacities of rivers, the number of people affected by organicpollution (BOD >5 mg/l) is projected to increase from 1.1 billion in 2000 to 2.5 billion in 2050. With developing countries disproportionately affected, our results point to a growing need for affordable wastewater solutions.

Appropriate increases in the "sink" of a landscape can reduce the risk of non-point source pollution (NPSP) to the sea at relatively lower costs and at a higher efficiency. Based on high-resolution remote sensing image data taken between 2003 and 2008, we analyzed the "source" and "sink" landscape pattern variations of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in the Jiulongjiang estuary region. The contribution to the sea and distribution of each pollutant in the region was calculated using the LCI and mGLCI models. The results indicated that an increased amount of pollutants was contributed to the sea, and the "source" area of the nitrogen NPSP in the study area increased by 32.75 km(2). We also propose a landscape pattern optimization to reduce pollution in the Jiulongjiang estuary in 2008 through the conversion of cultivated land with slopes greater than 15° and paddy fields near rivers, and an increase in mangrove areas.

We investigated the presence, levels, relationships, and risks of HCHs, DDTs, chlordanes, mirex, PCBs, and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in terrestrial and aquatic bird eggs from an area in South Africa where DDT is used for malaria control. We found one of the highest ΣDDT levels reported this century; 13,000 ng/g wm (wet mass) in Grey Heron eggs which exceeds critical levels for reproductive success (3000 ng/g wm) calculated for Brown Pelicans, with a no-effect level estimated at 500 ng/g wm. Even higher ΣDDT levels at 16,000 ng/g wm were found in House Sparrow eggs (possibly the highest ever recorded for sparrows), with a maximum of 24,400 ng/g wm. Significant eggshell thinning in Cattle Egrets (33% between thickest and thinnest) was associated with increased levels of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE. There were indications of unknown use of DDT and lindane. Relative to DDT, PCBs and BFRs levels were quite low. Ordinated data showed that different terrestrial pollutant profiles converged to a homogenised aquatic profile. Converging profiles, high levels of DDT in heron and sparrow eggs, and thinning eggs shells, indicate risk and impacts at release, in the aquatic environment, and in between. If characteristic life-strategies of birds in warm areas (e.g. longer-lived and fewer eggs per clutch) increases the risk compared with similar birds living in colder regions when both experience the same environmental pollutant levels, then malaria control using DDT probably has more significant impacts on biota than previously realised. Therefore, risk assessment and modelling without hard data may miss crucial impacts and risks, as the chemical use patterns and ecologies in Africa and elsewhere may differ from the conditions and assumptions of existing risk assessment and modelling parameters. Consideration of other findings associated with DDT from the same area (intersex in fish and urogental birth defects in baby boys), together with the findings of this study (high

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are of considerable concern due to their well-recognized toxicity and their potential to bioaccumulate and engage in long-range transport. These compounds are semi-volatile and, therefore, create a partition between vapour and condensed phases in the atmosphere, while both phases can undergo chemical reactions. This work describes the extension of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modelling system to POPs with a focus on establishing an adaptable framework that accounts for gaseous chemistry, heterogeneous reactions, and gas-particle partitioning (GPP). The effect of GPP is assessed by implementing a set of independent parameterizations within the CMAQ aerosol module, including the Junge-Pankow (JP) adsorption model, the Harner-Bidleman (HB) organic matter (OM) absorption model, and the dual Dachs-Eisenreich (DE) black carbon (BC) adsorption and OM absorption model. Use of these descriptors in a modified version of CMAQ for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) results in different fate and transport patterns as demonstrated by regional-scale simulations performed for a European domain during 2006. The dual DE model predicted 24.1 % higher average domain concentrations compared to the HB model, which was in turn predicting 119.2 % higher levels compared to the baseline JP model. Evaluation with measurements from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) reveals the capability of the more extensive DE model to better capture the ambient levels and seasonal behaviour of BaP. It is found that the heterogeneous reaction of BaP with O3 may decrease its atmospheric lifetime by 25.2 % (domain and annual average) and near-ground concentrations by 18.8 %. Marginally better model performance was found for one of the six EMEP stations (Košetice) when heterogeneous BaP reactivity was included. Further analysis shows that, for the rest of the EMEP locations, the model continues to underestimate BaP levels, an observation that can be

Increasing ocean temperature due to climate change is an important anthropogenic driver of ecological change in coastal systems. In these systems sediments play a major role in nutrient cycling. Our ability to predict ecological consequences of climate change is enhanced by simulating real scenarios. Based on predicted climate change scenarios, we tested the effect of temperature and organicpollution on nutrient release from coastal sediments to the water column in a mesocosm experiment. PO43- release rates from sediments followed the same trends as organic matter mineralization rates, increased linearly with temperature and were significantly higher under organicpollution than under nonpolluted conditions. NH4+ release only increased significantly when the temperature rise was above 6 °C, and it was significantly higher in organicpolluted compared to nonpolluted sediments. Nutrient release to the water column was only a fraction from the mineralized organic matter, suggesting PO43- retention and NH4+ oxidation in the sediment. Bioturbation and bioirrigation appeared to be key processes responsible for this behavior. Considering that the primary production of most marine basins is N-limited, the excess release of NH4+ at a temperature rise > 6 °C could enhance water column primary productivity, which may lead to the deterioration of the environmental quality. Climate change effects are expected to be accelerated in areas affected by organicpollution.

Contamination of surface and groundwaters by hazardous inorganic and organicpollutants has become an increasing threat to the safety of drinking waters. Cleanup of contaminated surface and groundwaters has, therefore, become a major focus of environmental research. Primary objectives of this dissertation study were to examine the adsorption properties of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and their derivatives for inorganic and organic contaminants and to identify potential technologies that utilize LDHs and their derivatives for environment remediation. Studies examined the adsorption characteristics of anionic selenium, arsenic and dicamba (3,6 dichloro-2-methoxy benzoic acid) on original LDHs and calcined-LDHs. Adsorption of selenium and arsenic on LDHs was a function of pH. Competing anions in solution strongly affected adsorption of all three contaminants, with divalent anions decreasing adsorption more intensely than monovalent anions. Adsorbed selenium, arsenic and dicamba could be released from LDHs in anion solutions. Adsorption isotherms for selenium and arsenic retention could be fitted to a simple Langmuir equation. Calcination processes significantly increased adsorption capacities of LDHs. Because of adsorption-desorpion characteristics, LDHs could be recycled. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed an increase of d-spacing coupling with adsorption of contaminants, verifying the intercalation of contaminants into layer structure of LDHs. Long chain anionic surfactants intercalated into LDHs modified their surface properties, resulting in organo-LDHs with hydrophobic surface properties. Various organo-LDHs were developed by incorporating different surfactants into LDHs via different synthesis methods. Surfactant intercalation properties were examined and the geometrical arrangements of the intercalated surfactants were characterized. Results revealed that surfactant molecules could adopt various configurations within the LDH interlayer space. Intercalation

Heterogeneous photocatalysis and ozonation are robust advanced oxidation processes for eliminating organic contaminants in wastewater. The combination of these two methods is carried out in order to enhance the overall mineralization of refractory organics. An apparent synergism between heterogeneous photocatalysis and ozonation has been demonstrated in many literatures, which gives rise to an improvement of total organic carbon removal. The present overview dissects the heterogeneous catalysts and the influences of different operational parameters, followed by the discussion on the kinetics, mechanism, economic feasibility and future trends of this integrated technology. The enhanced oxidation rate mainly results from a large amount of hydroxyl radicals generated from a synergistically induced decomposition of dissolved ozone, besides superoxide ion radicals and the photo-induced holes. Six reaction pathways possibly exist for the generation of hydroxyl radicals in the reaction mechanism of heterogeneous photocatalytic ozonation.

An apparatus for treating soil contaminated by organic compounds wherein an ozone containing gas is treated with acid to increase the stability of the ozone in the soil environment and the treated ozone applied to the contaminated soil in a manner adapted to decompose the organic compounds; one embodiment of the apparatus comprises a means to supply ozone as a gas-ozone mixture, a stability means to treat ozone obtained from the supply and distribution means to apply the stabilized gas-ozone to soil. The soil may be treated in situ or may be removed for treatment and refilled.

The quantification of organic contaminant bioaccessibility in soils and sediments is essential for the risk assessment and remediation of contaminated land. Within this framework, practitioners require standardised protocols. Cyclodextrins are a group of macrocyclic compounds that can form inclusion complexes with organic xenobiotics. This occurrence can be exploited to measure the labile/rapidly desorbable compound fraction, which correlates with microbial degradation. We present a rapid and easily reproducible HPCD shake extraction technique that has been experimentally demonstrated to directly predict microbial availability and degradation in soil. This method can provide practitioners with both an indication of bioremediation end-points and may be valuable in the risk assessment of contaminated land.

Sewage pollution threatens the health of coastal populations and ecosystems, including coral reefs. We investigated spatial patterns of sewage pollution in Puako, Hawaii using enterococci concentrations and δ(15)N Ulva fasciata macroalgal bioassays to assess relationships with the coral disease Porites lobata growth anomalies (PGAs). PGA severity and enterococci concentrations were high, spatially variable, and positively related. Bioassay algal δ(15)N showed low sewage pollution at the reef edge while high values of resident algae indicated sewage pollution nearshore. Neither δ(15)N metric predicted PGA measures, though bioassay δ(15)N was negatively related to coral cover. Furthermore, PGA prevalence was much higher than previously recorded in Hawaii and the greater Indo-Pacific, highlighting Puako as an area of concern. Although further work is needed to resolve the relationship between sewage pollution and coral cover and disease, these results implicate sewage pollution as a contributor to diminished reef health.

Organogenesis, such as long tubule self-organization, requires long-range coordination of cell mechanics to arrange cell positions and to remodel the extracellular matrix. While the current mainstream in the field of tissue morphogenesis focuses primarily on genetics and chemical signaling, the influence of cell mechanics on the programming of patterning cues in tissue morphogenesis has not been adequately addressed. Here, we review experimental evidence and propose quantitative mechanical models by which cells can create tubular patterns.

The objective of this exploratory study is to characterize by means of drawings if the developmental patterns in the graphic representation of organ and organ systems progresses related to age of participants. Secondly, whether there is an integration of sex organs into the internal body image. The drawings representing the inside of the body in…

The objective of this exploratory study is to characterize by means of drawings if the developmental patterns in the graphic representation of organ and organ systems progresses related to age of participants. Secondly, whether there is an integration of sex organs into the internal body image. The drawings representing the inside of the body in…

Little is known about the effects of biochar on the fate and behavior of micropollutants in soil, especially in the presence of soil macrofauna. Using a 14C-tracer, we studied the fate of 2,4-dichlorophenol and phenanthrene, after 30 days in soil in the presence of a biochar (0-5%, dry weight) produced from China fir at 400 °C and/or the earthworm Metaphire guillelmi. Application of the biochar significantly reduced the degradation and mineralization of both pollutants and strongly increased the accumulation of their metabolites in soil. The earthworm had no significant effects on the degradation of parent molecules of the pollutants but it significantly reduced the mineralization of the pollutants independent of the presence of the biochar. Although at an application rate of <1% the biochar strongly sorbed both pollutants, it did not significantly decrease the bioaccumulation of free dichlorophenol and phenanthrene and their metabolites by the earthworm. Our results demonstrate the complex effects of biochar on the fate, transformation, and earthworm bioaccumulation of organicpollutants in soil. They show that biochar application may not be an appropriate strategy for treating soil contaminated with hydrophobic organicpollutants and underline the importance of soil-feeding earthworms in risk assessments of biochar effects on soil remediation.

Since the 1980's, measures mitigating the impact of transboundary air pollution have been implemented successfully as evidenced in the 1980-2014 record of atmospheric sulphur pollution over the NE-Atlantic, a key region for monitoring background northern-hemisphere pollution levels. The record reveals a 72-79% reduction in annual-average airborne sulphur pollution (SO4 and SO2, respectively) over the 35-year period. The NE-Atlantic, as observed from the Mace Head research station on the Irish coast, can be considered clean for 64% of the time during which sulphate dominates PM1 levels, contributing 42% of the mass, and for the remainder of the time, under polluted conditions, a carbonaceous (organic matter and Black Carbon) aerosol prevails, contributing 60% to 90% of the PM1 mass and exhibiting a trend whereby its contribution increases with increasing pollution levels. The carbonaceous aerosol is known to be diverse in source and nature and requires sophisticated air pollution policies underpinned by sophisticated characterisation and source apportionment capabilities to inform selective emissions-reduction strategies. Inauspiciously, however, this carbonaceous concoction is not measured in regulatory Air Quality networks.

Since the 1980’s, measures mitigating the impact of transboundary air pollution have been implemented successfully as evidenced in the 1980-2014 record of atmospheric sulphur pollution over the NE-Atlantic, a key region for monitoring background northern-hemisphere pollution levels. The record reveals a 72-79% reduction in annual-average airborne sulphur pollution (SO4 and SO2, respectively) over the 35-year period. The NE-Atlantic, as observed from the Mace Head research station on the Irish coast, can be considered clean for 64% of the time during which sulphate dominates PM1 levels, contributing 42% of the mass, and for the remainder of the time, under polluted conditions, a carbonaceous (organic matter and Black Carbon) aerosol prevails, contributing 60% to 90% of the PM1 mass and exhibiting a trend whereby its contribution increases with increasing pollution levels. The carbonaceous aerosol is known to be diverse in source and nature and requires sophisticated air pollution policies underpinned by sophisticated characterisation and source apportionment capabilities to inform selective emissions-reduction strategies. Inauspiciously, however, this carbonaceous concoction is not measured in regulatory Air Quality networks.

Since the 1980’s, measures mitigating the impact of transboundary air pollution have been implemented successfully as evidenced in the 1980–2014 record of atmospheric sulphur pollution over the NE-Atlantic, a key region for monitoring background northern-hemisphere pollution levels. The record reveals a 72–79% reduction in annual-average airborne sulphur pollution (SO4 and SO2, respectively) over the 35-year period. The NE-Atlantic, as observed from the Mace Head research station on the Irish coast, can be considered clean for 64% of the time during which sulphate dominates PM1 levels, contributing 42% of the mass, and for the remainder of the time, under polluted conditions, a carbonaceous (organic matter and Black Carbon) aerosol prevails, contributing 60% to 90% of the PM1 mass and exhibiting a trend whereby its contribution increases with increasing pollution levels. The carbonaceous aerosol is known to be diverse in source and nature and requires sophisticated air pollution policies underpinned by sophisticated characterisation and source apportionment capabilities to inform selective emissions-reduction strategies. Inauspiciously, however, this carbonaceous concoction is not measured in regulatory Air Quality networks. PMID:28303958

This study aimed to evaluate the possible remedial effects of three marine benthic annelids on organicallypolluted sediments from the waters of Hatsukaichi Marina, Hiroshima, Japan. Two polychaetes, Perinereis nuntia and Capitella cf. teleta, and an oligochaete, Thalassodrilides sp., were incubated in sediments for 50 days. Their effects on physicochemical properties such as organic matter (loss on ignition), redox potential (Eh), acid volatile sulfides (AVS), and degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were assessed. The polychaetes P. nuntia and C. cf. teleta significantly increased Eh level and decreased AVS level compared with the oligochaete Thalassodrilides sp. and control (without benthic organisms). Total PAH concentration significantly decreased from the initial level with all three groups; Thalassodrilides sp. had a marked ability to reduce PAHs in sediment. These results indicate that benthic organisms have species-specific remediation properties and ecological functions in organicallypolluted sediments.

China has suffered from serious air pollution and CO2 emission. Challenges of emission reduction policy not only come from technology advancement, but also generate from the fact that, China has pronounced disparity between regions, in geographical and socioeconomic. How to deal with regional disparity is important to achieve the reduction target effectively and efficiently. This research conducts a spatial analysis on the emission patterns of three air pollutants named SO2, NOx and PM2.5, and CO2, in China's 30 provinces, applied with spatial auto-correlation and multi regression modeling. We further analyze the regional disparity and inequity issues with the approach of Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient. Results highlight that: there is evident cluster effect for the regional air pollutants and CO2 emissions. While emission amount increases from western regions to eastern regions, the emission per GDP is in inverse trend. The Lorenz curve shows an even larger unequal distribution of GDP/emissions than GDP/capita in 30 regions. Certain middle and western regions suffers from a higher emission with lower GDP, which reveal the critical issue of emission leakage. Future policy making to address such regional disparity is critical so as to promote the emission control policy under the “equity and efficiency” principle.

Oxidative stress biomarkers are widely used in marine ecotoxicology. Environmental pollutants enhance intracellular formation of oxyradicals through several mechanisms, but complex oxidative interactions occur in response to chemical mixtures. Metabolism of individual classes of pollutants can be influenced by a sophisticated network of prooxidant relationships, reciprocal and cascade effects, changes of redox-sensitive signaling proteins, and transcription factors. Chemically mediated pathways can affect antioxidant responses at different levels, including pretranscriptional, transcriptional, protein, and catalytic functions; such mechanisms remain largely unexplored in marine organisms. Molecular responses of antioxidants are frequently not paralleled by expected biochemical changes or cellular effects, and caution is needed when interpreting the effects of environmental pollutants. Results on antioxidant variations can be influenced by mRNA stability and protein turnover, different timing for transcriptional and translational mechanisms, metabolic capability of tissues, posttranscriptional modifications of proteins, biphasic responses of antioxidant enzymes, and adaptation mechanisms to chronic pollution.

This study examined the ability of the microbial community from an uncontaminated aquifer to degrade and adapt to a variety of organicpollutants. Adaptation was defined functionally as an increase in the rate of mineralization of {sup 14}C-radiolabeled substrates with exposure to the chemical. Several patterns of microbial response to xenobiotic compounds were exhibited. For some compounds, such as chlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and toluene, limited mineralization was detected during greater than 8 months of incubation. Intermediate rates of biodegradation, and a linear increase in the percentage of substrate mineralized with time were observed for m-cresol, m-aminophenol and aniline. A maximum of 10 to 15% of the label added was respired during the 3 to 5 months incubation. Phenol, ethylene dibromide and p-chlorophenol were rapidly mineralized, to a maximum of 20 to 35% of the label added within the first few weeks of incubation. Of all the compounds examined, only p-nitrophenol and m-nitrophenol elicited an adaptation response in the microbial community.

Persistent organicpollutant (POP) transport and deposition in Europe were investigated using calculations with the TREND model based on high-resolution 1990 emission estimates. Lindane (γ-HCH) and benzo(a)pyrene were chosen to represent components found predominantly in the gas and particle phases, respectively. Atmospheric lifetimes and dispersion of gas-phase POPs are primarily determined by their solubility in water and degradation rate in soils and vegetation; they have much longer lifetimes over land than over water surfaces. Model calculations indicate that γ-HCH has the potential for dispersion throughout the hemisphere, with most of it ending up in large water bodies. Spatial distribution patterns of calculated concentrations in precipitation correlated well with those of wet deposition measurements around the North Sea, but the absolute values were too low by a factor of three. Sensitivity analyses suggest that it is the emission data rather than other model parameters that are responsible for the underestimation. For (particle-phase) B(a)P the size distribution of its carrier particles and its atmospheric degradation rate are the most important, and the most uncertain, parameters affecting dispersion and transport. Results here indicate general overestimation of concentrations by a factor of two or less, but insufficient measurements limit uncertainty analyses and validity of conclusions.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disks were deployed at global background sites, to test logistical issues associated with a global monitoring network for persistent organicpollutants (POPs). alpha-HCH, exhibited relatively high and uniform concentrations (17-150 pg/m3) at temperate and arctic sites with elevated concentrations associated with trans-Pacific inflow. Concentrations were much lower (<5 pg/m3) in Bermuda, Chile and Cape Grim. Concentrations for gamma-HCH, the main component of lindane, were spatially similar to the alpha-HCH pattern but lower in magnitude (typically, <10 pg/m3). Chlordane concentrations (sum of cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane and trans-nonachlor) were also low (<10 pg/m3). Dieldrin concentrations were in the range 2-25 pg/m3 at most sites but elevated in Bermuda. Back trajectories suggest that advection from Africa and the US may contribute. Endosulfan, a popular current-use pesticide, exhibited highest concentrations ranging from tens to hundreds of pg/m3. There was good agreement between duplicate samplers at each site and PUF disk-derived air concentrations agreed with high volume data. Few logistical/analytical problems were encountered in this pilot study.

Concentrations of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in eggs of common and thick-billed murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia) from five Alaskan nesting colonies were dominated by 4,4‘-DDE, total polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCBs; 46 congeners comprised mainly of PCB congeners 153, 118, 138, 99, and 151), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and chlordane compounds (ΣCHL). Concentrations of 4,4‘-DDE, cis-nonachlor, and heptachlor epoxide were lower than those reported for some of the same colonies in the 1970s, while HCB concentrations were similar. In general, significantly higher concentrations were found in eggs from Gulf of Alaska colonies compared to those from Bering Sea colonies except for HCB (higher in the Bering Sea) and β-HCH (no significant difference between the two regions). Thick-billed murre eggs contained higher concentrations of 4,4‘-DDE and ΣPCBs, whereas common murre eggs had higher HCB concentra tions. Possible factors contributing to the POPs patterns found in eggs from these murre colonies are discussed.

The presence of harmful compounds in water supplies and in the discharge of wastewater from chemical industries, power plants, and agricultural sources is a topic of global concern. The processes and technologies available at the present time for the treatment of polluted water are varied that include traditional water treatment processes such as biological, thermal and chemical treatment. All these water treatment processes, have limitations of their own and none is cost effective. Advanced oxidation processes have been proposed as an alternative for the treatment of this kind of wastewater. Heterogeneous photocatalysis has recently emerged as an efficient method for purifying water. TiO2 has generally been demonstrated to be the most active semiconductor material for decontamination water. One significant factor is the cost of separation TiO2, which is generally a powder having a very small particle size from the water after treatment by either sedimentation or ultrafiltration. The new photocatalyst, HTiNbO5, has been tested to determine whether its photocatalytic efficiency is good enough for use in photocatalytic water purification since it has high surface area and relatively large particle size. The larger particle sizes of the porous materials facilitate catalyst removal from a solution, after purification has taken place. It can be separated from water easily than TiO2, a significant technical improvement that might eliminate the tedious final filtration necessary with a slurry. These materials are characterized and tested as water decontamination photocatalysts. The new catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity, but with a strong pH dependence on the photo efficiency. These results suggest that elimination of the ion exchange character of the catalyst may greatly improve its performance at various pHs. This new research proposes to study the effects of a topotactic dehydration reaction on these new porous material catalysts.

Semivolatile and persistent organicpollutants (POPs) undergo atmospheric transport before being deposited to the oceans, where they partition to phytoplankton organic matter. The goal of this study was to determine the toxicity of naturally occurring complex mixtures of organicpollutants to temperate and polar phytoplankton communities from the Mediterranean Sea, the North East (NE) Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. The cell abundance of the different phytoplankton groups, chlorophyll a concentrations, viability of the cells, and growth and decay constants were monitored in response to addition of a range of concentrations of mixtures of organicpollutants obtained from seawater extracts. Almost all of the phytoplankton groups were significantly affected by the complex mixtures of non-polar and polar organicpollutants, with toxicity being greater for these mixtures than for single POPs or simple POP mixtures. Cocktails' toxicity arose at concentrations as low as tenfold the field oceanic levels, probably due to a higher chemical activity of the mixture than of simple POPs mixtures. Overall, smaller cells were the most affected, although Mediterranean picophytoplankton was significantly more tolerant to non-polar POPs than picophytoplankton from the Atlantic Ocean or the Bellingshausen Sea microphytoplankton.

The system: water supply source - potable and industrial water - wastewater - sewage treatment - water supply source is necessary for water supply and efficient utilization of water resources. Up-to-date technologies of waste water biological treatment require for special microorganisms, which are technologically complex and expensive but unable to solve all the problems. Application of photolytic and catalytically-oxidizing destruction is quite promising. However, the most reagents are strong oxidizers in catalytic oxidation of organic substances and can initiate toxic substance generation. Methodic and scientific approaches to assess bread making industry influence on the environment have been developed in this paper in order to support forecasting and taking technological decisions concerning reduction of this influence. Destructive methods have been tested: ultra violet irradiation and catalytic oxidation for extraction of organic compounds from waste water by natural reagents.

The spatial distribution of antibiotic resistance to streptomycin and kanamycin was examined in natural bacterial communities of two streams. The proportion of resistant bacteria was substantially higher (P < 0.05) in the midreaches of an industrially perturbed stream, but no such pattern was apparent in an undisturbed reference stream. The highest relative frequency of resistance was found at the confluence of a tributary draining a nuclear reactor and industrial complex. Antibiotic resistance increased with distance upstream from the confluence and was positively correlated (r2 = 0.54, P = 0.023) with mercury concentrations in the sediments. When the data for two years were compared, this pattern was stable for streptomycin resistance (paired t test, P < 0.05) but not for kanamycin resistance (P > 0.05). Our results imply that heavy metal pollution may contribute to increased antibiotic resistance through indirect selection. PMID:10966382

Two plant species (Paulownia tomentosa and Cytisus scoparius), earthworms (Eisenia fetida), and organic matter (horse manure) were used as an ecological approach to bioremediate a soil historically contaminated by heavy metals and hydrocarbons. The experiment was carried out for six months at a mesoscale level using pots containing 90 kg of polluted soil. Three different treatments were performed for each plant: (i) untreated planted soil as a control (C); (ii) planted soil + horse manure (20:1 w/w) (M); (iii) planted soil + horse manure + 15 earthworms (ME). Both the plant species were able to grow in the polluted soil and to improve the soil's bio-chemical conditions, especially when organic matter and earthworms were applied. By comparing the two plant species, few significant differences were observed in the soil characteristics; Cytisus scoparius improved soil nutrient content more than Paulownia tomentosa, which instead stimulated more soil microbial metabolism. Regarding the pollutants, Paulownia tomentosa was more efficient in reducing the heavy metal (Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni) content, while earthworms were particularly able to stimulate the processes involved in the decontamination of organicpollutants (hydrocarbons). This ecological approach, validated at a mesoscale level, has recently been transferred to a real scale situation to carry out the bioremediation of polluted soil in San Giuliano Terme Municipality (Pisa, Italy).

Concentrations of trace elements and organicpollutants were determined in marine sediments and molluscs from the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts of Israel. Two bivalve species (Donax trunculus, Pteria aegyptia), two gastropod species (Patella caerulea, Cellana rota) and sediments were sampled at polluted and relatively clean, reference, sites. Along the Mediterranean coast of Israel, sediments and molluscs from Haifa Bay stations were enriched with both organic and trace element contaminants. In the Red Sea, differences between the polluted and reference sites were less pronounced. Bio-concentration factors indicate a significant concentration of Zn, As, Cd, Sn and Pb in animal tissue relative to the concentrations of these elements in the sediments. In contrast, Ce, La and U were not concentrated in molluscs. The trace element results indicate a saturation of the detoxification mechanisms in molluscs from polluted sites. The concentrations of organicpollutants at the same sites are at the lower range of values recorded in other studies. However, synergistic effects between these compounds and between them and metals can lead to acute toxicity.

Environmental problems such as eutrophication caused by excessive nutrient discharge are global challenges. There are complex pollution sources of nitrogen (N) discharge in many river basins worldwide. Knowledge of its pollution sources and their respective load contributions is essential to developing effective N pollution control strategies. N loads from all known anthropogenic pollution sources in the Upper Huai River basin of China were simulated with the process-based SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model. The performances of SWAT driven by daily and hourly rainfall inputs were assessed and it was found that the one driven by hourly rainfall outperformed the one driven by daily rainfall in simulating both total nitrogen (TN) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N) loads. The hourly SWAT model was hence used to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of TN and NH4-N loads and their source attributions. TN load exhibited significant seasonal variations with the largest in summer and the smallest in spring. Despite its declining proportion of contribution downstream, crop production remained the largest contributor of TN load followed by septic tanks, concentrated animal feedlot operations (CAFOs), municipal sewage treatment plants, industries, and scattered animal feedlot operations (SAFOs). There was much less seasonal variation in NH4-N load. CAFOs remained the largest source of NH4-N load throughout the basin, while contributions from industries and municipal sewage treatment plants were more evident downstream. Our study results suggest the need to shift the focus of N load reduction from "end-of-pipe" sewage treatment to an integrated approach emphasizing stakeholder involvement and source prevention.

In many aquatic vertebrates, including bony and cartilaginous fishes, teeth and taste buds co-localize on jaw elements. In these animals, taste buds are renewed continuously throughout life, whereas teeth undergo cycled whole organ replacement by various means. Recently, studies of cichlid fishes have yielded new insights into the development and regeneration of these dental and sensory oral organs. Tooth and taste bud densities co-vary positively across species with different feeding strategies, controlled by common regions of the genome and integrated molecular signals. Developing teeth and taste buds share a bipotent epithelium during early patterning stages, from which dental and taste fields are specified. Moreover, these organs share a common epithelial ribbon that supports label-retaining cells during later stages of regeneration. During both patterning and regeneration stages, dental organs can be converted to taste bud fate by manipulation of BMP signaling. These observations highlight a surprising long-term plasticity between dental and sensory organ types. Here, we review these findings and discuss the implications of developmental plasticity that spans the continuum of craniofacial organpatterning and regeneration. PMID:26589931

The monitoring of different types of pollutants that are released into the environment and that present risks for both humans and wildlife has become increasingly important. In this study, we examined whether feathers of predatory birds can be used as a non-destructive biomonitor of organicpollutants. We demonstrate that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are measurable in one single tail feather of common buzzards (Buteo buteo) and that levels in this feather and internal tissues are significantly related to each other (0.35organic pollutants, although further validation may be necessary. PMID:17148383

The Y-12 Analytical Chemistry Organization (ACO) Off-Site Union Valley Facility (Union Valley Facility) is managed by Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, L.L.C. (B and W Y-12) through the Y-12 National Security Complex organization. Accordingly, the Y-12 Pollution Prevention Program encompasses the operations conducted at the Union Valley Facility. The Y-12 Program is designed to fully comply with state, federal and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requirements concerning waste minimization/pollution prevention as documented in the Y-12 Pollution Prevention Program Plan. The Program is formulated to reduce the generation and toxicity of all Y-12 wastes in all media, including those wastes generated by the Union Valley Facility operations. All regulatory and DOE requirements are met by the Y-12 Program Plan.

Forty-four water samples from eleven sampling points were collected from four highly polluted rivers of northern India once in each four seasons during 1988-1989. The samples were analyzed for phenol, chlorophenols, a few bromophenols and other organics. Phenol was found to be absent in all the analyzed samples. Trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol were frequently detected. Comparatively, the Ganges river was most polluted at Kannauj followed by Narora, Kachala and Fatehgarh. Maximum phenols were found at Mathura downstream of the Yamuna river followed by Mathura upstream, Okhla, ITO and none at Wazirabad. No phenols were detected in the water of the rivers Hindon and Kali at Ghaziabad and Aligarh, respectively. Some other organicpollutants were also identified by their mass spectra and supported by data from the computerized library, but, not quantified.

The global AsIII-oxidizing activity of microorganisms in eight surface soils from polluted sites was quantified with and without addition of organic substrates. The organic substances provided differed by their nature: either yeast extract, commonly used in microbiological culture media, or a synthetic mixture of defined organic matters (SMOM) presenting some common features with natural soil organic matter. Correlations were sought between soil characteristics and both the AsIII-oxidizing rate constants and their evolution in accordance with inputs of organic substrates. In the absence of added substrate, the global AsIII oxidation rate constant correlated positively with the concentration of intrinsic organic matter in the soil, suggesting that AsIII-oxidizing activity was limited by organic substrate availability in nutrient-poor soils. This limitation was, however, removed by 0.08 g/L of added organic carbon. In most conditions, the AsIII oxidation rate constant decreased as organic carbon input increased from 0.08 to 0.4 g/L. Incubations of polluted soils in aerobic conditions, amended or not with SMOM, resulted in short-term As mobilization in the presence of SMOM and active microorganisms. In contrast, microbial AsIII oxidation seemed to stabilize As when no organic substrate was added. Results suggest that microbial speciation of arsenic driven by nature and concentration of organic matter exerts a major influence on the fate of this toxic element in surface soils.

In large cities, municipal landfills may have received waste coming from hospitals, but also green waste. The corresponding anthroposol might thus be a source of organic emerging substances such as pharmaceutical or phytosanitary substances. The occurrence and fate of organic emerging substances from such a former landfill in urban areas has been studied as part of a research program dealing with the observation and the monitoring of the environment. Of the 261 substances sought (30 pharmaceutical molecules, 223 phytosanitary products and 8 other emerging substances), 11 pharmaceutical molecules in particular have been quantified in the leachates, 2 endocrine disruptors (bisphenol A and triclosan) and 10 phytosanitary substances. Most of these substances are found also in groundwater immediately downstream of the site (including carbamazepine) at concentrations ranging between 0.1 µg/l and 10 µg/l. The number of detected substances appears much smaller a few hundred meters far from the landfill (bisphenol A and diclofenac in particularly, with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1 µg/l and about 0.1 µg/l respectively). Natural attenuation occurs during transfer in the plume, as observed for PAHs or metals. Several mechanisms may explain the natural attenuation of the substances.

The explosion and collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) was a catastrophic event that produced an aerosol impacting many residents, workers, and commuters after September 11, 2001. In all, 12 bulk samples of the settled dust were collected at indoor locations surrounding the epicenter of the disaster, including one sample from a residence that had been cleansed and was once again occupied. Additionally, one sample was collected from just outside a fifth story window on the sill. These samples were analyzed for many components, including inorganic and organic constituents as well as morphology of the various particles. The results of the analyses for persistent organicpollutants on dusts that settled at indoor locations are described herein, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and select organo-chlorine pesticides. The Sigma(86)-PCB concentrations, comprising less than one part per million by mass of the bulk in the two samples analyzed, indicated that PCBs were of limited significance in the dust that settled at indoor locations across lower Manhattan. Likewise, organo-chlorine pesticides, Hexachlorobenzene, Heptachlor, 4,4'-DDE, 2,4'-DDT, 4,4'-DDT and Mirex were found at even lower concentrations in the bulk samples. Conversely, Sigma(37)-PAHs comprised up to 0.04% (<0.005-0.036%) by mass of the bulk indoor dust in the 11 WTC impacted bulk indoor samples. Analysis of one sample of indoor dusts collected from a vacuum cleaner of a rehabilitated home shows markedly lower PAH concentrations (<0.0005 mass%), as well as differing relative contributions for individual compounds. In addition to similar concentrations, comparison of PAH concentration patterns (i.e. chemical fingerprints) shows that dusts that settled indoors are chemically similar to previously measured WTC dusts found at outdoor locations and that these PAH analyses may be used in identifying dusts of WTC origin at indoor locations, along with ascertaining further

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are food contaminants of global public health concern and known to be carcinogenic and endocrine disruptors. Their monitoring is essential and an easy-to-use, rapid and affordable multi-analyte screening method with simplified sample preparation can be a valuable...

We report herein the selective array-based detection of 30 persistent organicpollutants via cyclodextrin-promoted energy transfer. The use of three fluorophores enabled the development of an array that classified 30 analytes with 100% accuracy and identified unknown analytes with 96% accuracy, as well as identifying 92% of analytes in urine. PMID:26096542

Open burning of waste is the most significant source of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in many national inventories prepared pursuant to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicPollutants (POPs). This is particularly true for developing ...

High elevation ecosystems in the western USA and Canada are receiving deposition of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) that presumably originate in the USA as well as outside its borders. In April 1992 we obtained paired snowpack samples from each of two watersheds located in t...

Zeolites are well known for their ion exchange and adsorption properties. Different inorganic and organicpollutants have been removed from water at room temperature using various zeolites. Synthetic zeolites like ZSM-5, Ferrierite, Beta and Faujasite Y have been used to remove i...

Open burning of waste is the most significant source of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in many national inventories prepared pursuant to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicPollutants (POPs). This is particularly true for developing ...

The environmental fate and behavior of different organicpollutants based on the qualitative analysis of thermodynamic and kinetic data is presented. The Fugacity model allows the use of different partition constants in an easy way, to determine the distribution of chemical between different phases in equilibrium of an environmental system.

Zeolites are well known for their ion exchange and adsorption properties. Different inorganic and organicpollutants have been removed from water at room temperature using various zeolites. Synthetic zeolites like ZSM-5, Ferrierite, Beta and Faujasite Y have been used to remove i...

The environmental fate and behavior of different organicpollutants based on the qualitative analysis of thermodynamic and kinetic data is presented. The Fugacity model allows the use of different partition constants in an easy way, to determine the distribution of chemical between different phases in equilibrium of an environmental system.

High elevation ecosystems in the western USA and Canada are receiving deposition of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) that presumably originate in the USA as well as outside its borders. In April 1992 we obtained paired snowpack samples from each of two watersheds located in t...

To investigate the status of trace organicpollution of the network water came from Huangpu River in Shanghai. An analytical method combining solid-phase extraction technique with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (SPE-GC/MS) was adopted for determination of trace organic chemicals in water samples. The resins containing XAD-2/402 (1:3) as solid sorbent enriched organic materials from drinking water, and 30% acetone-methanol was employed as elution solvent. 18 GC/MS methods were selected according to the priority substances of hazardous substances in drinking water recommended by US EPA. 142 kinds (10 categories) of organicpollutants were detected from drinking water, including phthalate esters, phenolic compounds, amines, alcohols/acids/esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, mono-/poly-cyclo aromatic compounds, heterocyclic compounds, aldehydes/ketones and others. Dibutyl phthalate(DBP), 4-cumylphenol and N-phenyl-beta-naphthylamine were found with relative high levels in the water samples. DBP and dioctyl phthalate (DOP) were considered by EPA to control the priority list of hazardous substances. Herbicides such as atrazine and linuron, and estrogen (3-deoxyestradiol) came from drinking water were also detected. Pollutants of drinking water came from Huangpu River as water source were complex. Most of the pollutants detected were not listed into Standards for Drinking Water Quality in China (GB5749-2006), so obviously, their comprehensive harmful effect should be further taken into account.

Publications produced over the past 20 years regarding the concentration of xenobiotics in human and dietary milk were evaluated, focusing primarily on persistent organicpollutants (e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants), pesticides (e.g organochlorine) and mycotoxins. In general, countries of low industrialization rate present low levels of dietary milk contamination with dioxins compared to those with high rate of industrialization. According to published data, the most common persistent organicpollutants detected in breast and dietary milk are dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane compounds, hexachlorocyclohexane, and hexachlorobenzene. Even though the potential risks of persistent organicpollutants in human milk have been acknowledged, the beneficial effect of breastfeeding as the optimal food source for newborn babies should not be disregarded. Especially when sharing information with the general public, it should be made clear that the presence of dioxins and persistent organicpollutants in human milk is not an indication for avoiding breastfeeding. The implications of xenobiotics in human and dietary milk is a matter of growing importance and warrants future work given its important health effects.

Field monitoring of the toxic organic compounds (PCBs, PAHs, organochlorine pesticides) in the top sediments of Pearl River Estuary and its up-streams were made. It was found that the highest concentrations of these toxic organic compounds occurred in the sediment sampled at Macau inner harbor (ZB013), which is a sink of suspended fine particles transported from the upstream waterways. Because of the affinity of the hydrophobic organic compounds (PAHs, PCBs) for the solid phase, these fine particle depositions led to accumulation of these compounds in the sediment of Macau. The atmospheric dry deposition may be another source of the toxic organicpollution in the sediment.

Samples of Choromytilus chorus (giant mussel) were collected at three sampling stations exposed to different degrees of pollution along the south-central portion of the Chilean coast in spring 1998 and summer 1999. Measurements were carried out on clearance rate, absorption efficiency, and oxygen consumption of the mussels under controlled laboratory conditions, and related to analytical data on organicpollutants in their tissues. Scope for growth (SFG) was employed as a physiological index to evaluate stress produced by pollutants existing at each sampling site. Individuals from San Vicente bay (highly polluted) showed negative SFG values in spring (-4.6 J/h per g) and summer (-3.5 J/h per g). These results indicated severe stress related to the accumulation of toxic compounds in their tissues. Specimens from Corral bay (medium level of pollution) gave a SFG of 15.5 J/h per g in spring and 6.5 J/h per g in summer, while those from Yaldad bay (low pollution) presented an inverse situation was observed with SFG values of 6.2 J/h per g in spring which was lower than the summer value of 25.7 J/h per g. There was a significant negative correlation between the SFG of the different populations of C. chorus and the concentrations of organochlorines (OChs) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in their tissues.

This study evaluates the advantage of using GC/MS (ion trap) and solid phase extraction (SPE) for the determination of semi-volatile organics which cover priority pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, phthalates, and synthetic organic analytes. SPE of trace organic compounds using reverse phase sorbent is attractive compared to the more traditional methods that utilize liquid-liquid extraction or microextraction for the removal of these pollutants from aqueous samples. GC/MS method involving SPE for sample preparation reduces manual labor, speed sample processing,and substantially reduces the volume of solvent required. Also, the application of axial modulation ion trap mass spectrometry improved sensitivity in GC/MS analysis and the method accuracy and precision of semi-volatile organics from GC/MS (ion trap) are very competitive with electron capture detector and photo ionization detector. Systematic studies were done to determine the factors that effect the optimum disk sampling/elution conditions to achieve the quality control requirements for the compliance monitoring. The recoveries of phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH`s) and most of the organic pesticides, which have very hydrophobic nature and high boiling points, are very acceptable. Consequently GC/MS analysis using solid phase extraction (SPE) techniques can be applied as the primary analytical method and final conformation tool for the routine monitoring samples such as ground water, surface water and reclaimed water for the determination of trace organicpollutants with improved sensitivity, reduced extraction time and monitoring expense.

Aquatic environments are among the most noteworthy ecosystems regarding chemical pollution due to the anthropogenic pressure. In 2000, the European Commission implemented the Water Framework Directive, with the aim of progressively reducing aquatic chemical pollution of the European Union countries. Therefore, the knowledge about the chemical and ecological status is imperative to determine the overall quality of water bodies. Concerning Portugal, some studies have demonstrated the presence of pollutants in the aquatic environment but an overall report is not available yet. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review about the occurrence of priority substances included in the Water Framework Directive and some classes of emerging organicpollutants that have been found in Portuguese aquatic environment. The most frequently studied compounds comprise industrial compounds, natural and synthetic estrogens, phytoestrogens, phytosterols, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Concentration of these pollutants ranged from few ng L(-1) to higher values such as 30 μg L(-1) for industrial compounds in surface waters and up to 106 μg L(-1) for the pharmaceutical ibuprofen in wastewaters. Compounds already banned in Europe such as atrazine, alkylphenols and alkylphenol polyethoxylates are still found in surface waters, nevertheless their origin is still poorly understood. Beyond the contamination of the Portuguese aquatic environment by priority substances and emerging organicpollutants, this review also highlights the need of more research on other classes of pollutants and emphasizes the importance of extending this research to other locations in Portugal, which have not been investigated yet.

The long-term atmospheric cycling and fate of persistent organicpollutants under the influence of a changing climate is a concern. A GCM's realization of present-day (1970-1999) and future (2070-2099) climate, the latter under a medium scenario of greenhouse gas emissions, is used to study meridional transports and their correlations with the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations (AO and NAO). Regions of import and export maxima into the Arctic are identified along the Arctic Circle. It is found that, under future climate conditions, the net export of PCB153 out of the Arctic will increase. The meridional net flux pattern of this substance is expected to become independent of AO and NAO. For DDT, a trend of decreasing net Arctic import will reverse to an increasing trend 100 years after peak emission, which is partly due to more frequent AO and NAO positive phases. It is concluded that the long-term accumulation trends in the Arctic of other persistent pollutants, including so-called emerging pollutants, are subject to the substances' specific behavior and fate in the environment and need to be studied specifically.

In the living cell, proteins are able to organize space much larger than their dimensions. In return, changes of intracellular space can influence biochemical reactions, allowing cells to sense their size and shape. Despite the possibility to reconstitute protein self-organization with only a few purified components, we still lack knowledge of how geometrical boundaries affect spatiotemporal protein patterns. Following a minimal systems approach, we used purified proteins and photolithographically patterned membranes to study the influence of spatial confinement on the self-organization of the Min system, a spatial regulator of bacterial cytokinesis, in vitro. We found that the emerging protein pattern responds even to the lateral, two-dimensional geometry of the membrane such that, as in the three-dimensional cell, Min protein waves travel along the longest axis of the membrane patch. This shows that for spatial sensing the Min system does not need to be enclosed in a three-dimensional compartment. Using a computational model we quantitatively analyzed our experimental findings and identified persistent binding of MinE to the membrane as requirement for the Min system to sense geometry. Our results give insight into the interplay between geometrical confinement and biochemical patterns emerging from a nonlinear reaction–diffusion system. PMID:22949703

This study investigates the hybrid mediated electrochemical oxidation (HMEO) technology, which is a newly developed non thermal electrochemical oxidation process for organic destruction. A combination of ozone and ultrasonication processes to the mediated electrochemical oxidation (MEO) process is termed as hybrid mediated electrochemical oxidation. The electrochemical cell was developed in this laboratory. In the present study, several organic compounds, such as phenol, benzoquinone and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), were chosen as the model organicpollutants to be destructed by the hybrid process. The organic destruction was monitored based on the CO2 generation and total organic carbon (TOC) reduction. The HMEO process was found to be extremely effective in the destruction of all the target organics chosen in this study. The information obtained from this study will provide an insight in adopting this technique for dealing with more recalcitrant organics (POPs).

As part of the US Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory program on alternative automotive fuels, the subcontractor has been conducting studies on the origin and fate of organicpollutants from the combustion of alternative fuels. Laboratory experiments were conducted simulating cold start of four alterative fuels (compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol-gasoline mix, and ethanol-gasoline mix) using a commercial three-way catalyst under fuel-lean conditions. This report summarizes the results of these experiments. It appears that temperature of the catalyst is a more important parameter for fuel conversion and pollutant formation than oxygen concentration or fuel composition.

Organic sea surface films, both natural and pollutant, modify numerous physical, chemical and biological processes at the air-sea interface. Physical and hydrodynamic effects caused by such surface films influence the signals received by both active and passive remote sensing systems. Thus, knowledge of the frequency and distribution of organic slicks is essential to identify ocean regions where oil and natural organic films are prevalent, especially when remotely sensed data from such areas are to be interpreted. The most influential factors which influence the existence and persistence of natural films at sea include wind velocity and oceanic primary productivity. Global charts of these parameters are presented, and the seasonal variabilities are discussed. The distribution of pollutant petroleum slicks is based on results of a United Nations marine pollution monitoring project, and figures of both global and regional oil spill data are included. In general, natural slicks are mostly likely in biologically rich coastal areas under relatively calm conditions, although visible slicks can occur at any oceanic location if winds are sufficiently calm. Petroleum slicks are most prevalent in regions affected by significant oil tanker and shipping activity. High wind-wave dynamics reduce the probability of the existence of both natural and pollutant films, and such conditions predominate over strong source strengths of the film-forming material in determining the likelihood of slick formation and persistence.

Ecological restoration of polluted river water was carried out in South Canal by adding microbial water purifying agents and biological compound enzymes. The objective of present study was to investigate the ecological restoration effect of organicpollutants by this efficient immobilized microbial technologies, analysis the occurrence and composition of organicpollutants including fifteen persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), seventeen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and eighteen organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) both in natural water environment and ecological restoration area of South Canal, China. Results showed that the total concentrations of OCPs ranged from 1.11 to 1.78 ng·L-1, PAHs from 52.76 to 60.28 ng·L-1, and OPPs from 6.51 to 17.50 ng·L-1. Microbial water purifying agents and biological compound enzymes essentially had no effects on biological degradation of OCPs and PAHs in the river, but could remove OPPs with degradation rates ranging from 19.6% to 62.8% (35.2% in average). Degradation mechanisms of microbial water purifying agents and biological compound enzymes on OCPs, PAHs and OPPs remained to be further studied. This technology has a certain value in practical ecological restoration of organicpollutants in rivers and lakes.

Twenty-five sampling stations were selected in order to monitor persistent organicpollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides and total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) in surface water from Kerkini Lake, the Strymon River, its main tributaries and estuary in N. Aegean Sea during January to July, 2008, according to recent European Union (EU) guidelines. The data were divided among the high (January to April) and the low flow season (May to July). Generally, the values for organicpollutants were within the range reported worldwide for surface water. Elevated PAHs concentrations were observed compared with other places in Greece. Anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene exceeded maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of the relative EU guideline. Also, concentrations above MAC were observed for OCs, γ-HCH, and a-endosulfan. Despite the fact that it is banned since 1972, Aldrin was detected during the monitoring season (from limit of detection (LOD) to 15 ng L(-1)). Total PCB concentrations ranged from LOD to 162 ng L(-1). In addition, the load of organicpollutants was estimated in April (high flow) and June (low flow) in selected sampling stations. According to this estimation, napthalene, anthracene, and fluoranthene (PAHs), total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), aldrin, and total PCBs had the highest load. Taking into account the relative EU guidelines concerning the pollutants studied, the water quality in the Strymon River catchment could be characterized as poor, which can lead to negative impacts to its biota.

A method for assessment of toxicity of nonvolatile organic chemicals contaminants in groundwater polluted with landfill leachate has been evaluated. The biotests utilized were composed of an algal growth inhibition test (Selenastrum capricornutum), a daphnia immobilization test (Daphnia magna), and a bacterial genotoxicity test (umuC, Salmonella typhimurium). The feasibility of the selected biotests was investigated for a series of groundwater samples collected along pollution gradients downstreams of two landfills in Jutland, Denmark. Two different approaches were used, direct toxicity testing of whole groundwater samples, and toxicity testing of concentrates obtained by solid-phase extraction. Direct testing of whole groundwater samples produced toxic responses, but the complex sample matrix masked the toxicity of the organic chemical contaminants of interest. Solid-phase extraction was used successfully as an on-site method that eliminated ion toxicity and produced biotest responses that reflected the toxicity of the nonvolatile organic chemical contaminants in the groundwater.

Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) is one of the most economical and environmental-friendly advanced oxidation process. It makes a promising technology for the treatment of refractory organicpollutants in industrial wastewaters. Various heterogeneous catalysts including noble metals and metal oxides have been extensively studied to enhance the efficiency of CWAO. The present review is concerned about the literatures published in this regard. Phenolics, carboxylic acids, and nitrogen-containing compounds were taken as model pollutants in most cases, and noble metals such as Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, and Pt as well as oxides of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, and Ce were applied as heterogeneous catalysts. Reports on their characterization and catalytic performances for the CWAO of aqueous pollutants are reviewed. Discussions are also made on the reaction mechanisms and kinetics proposed for heterogeneous CWAO and also on the typical catalyst deactivations in heterogeneous CWAO, i.e. carbonaceous deposits and metal leaching.

New models for estimating bioaccumulation of persistent organicpollutants in the agricultural food chain were developed using recent improvements to plant uptake and cattle transfer models. One model named AgriSim was based on K OW regressions of bioaccumulation in plants and cattle, while the other was a steady-state mechanistic model, AgriCom. The two developed models and European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES), as a benchmark, were applied to four reported food chain (soil/air-grass-cow-milk) scenarios to evaluate the performance of each model simulation against the observed data. The four scenarios considered were as follows: (1) polluted soil and air, (2) polluted soil, (3) highly polluted soil surface and polluted subsurface and (4) polluted soil and air at different mountain elevations. AgriCom reproduced observed milk bioaccumulation well for all four scenarios, as did AgriSim for scenarios 1 and 2, but EUSES only did this for scenario 1. The main causes of the deviation for EUSES and AgriSim were the lack of the soil-air-plant pathway and the ambient air-plant pathway, respectively. Based on the results, it is recommended that soil-air-plant and ambient air-plant pathway should be calculated separately and the K OW regression of transfer factor to milk used in EUSES be avoided. AgriCom satisfied the recommendations that led to the low residual errors between the simulated and the observed bioaccumulation in agricultural food chain for the four scenarios considered. It is therefore recommended that this model should be incorporated into regulatory exposure assessment tools. The model uncertainty of the three models should be noted since the simulated concentration in milk from 5th to 95th percentile of the uncertainty analysis often varied over two orders of magnitude. Using a measured value of soil organic carbon content was effective to reduce this uncertainty by one order of magnitude.

Environmental pollution is increasing worldwide, and there is evidence that exposure to halogenated persistent organicpollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls can contribute to the pathology of inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. Pollutant removal from contaminated sites and subsequent pollutant degradation are critical for reducing the long-term health risks associated with exposure. However, complete remediation of a toxicant from the environment is very difficult and cost-prohibitive. Furthermore, remediation technologies often result in the generation of secondary toxicants. Considering these circumstances, environmentally-friendly and sustainable remediation technologies and biomedical solutions to reduce vulnerability to environmental chemical insults need to be explored to reduce the overall health risks associate with exposure to environmental pollutants. We propose that positive lifestyle changes such as healthful nutrition and consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables or bioactive nutrients with antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory properties will reduce the body’s vulnerability to environmental stressors and thus reduce toxicant-mediated disease pathologies. Interestingly, emerging evidence now implicates the incorporation of bioactive nutrients, such as plant-derived polyphenols, in technologies focused on the capture, sensing and remediation of halogenated POPs. We propose that human nutritional intervention in concert with the use of natural polyphenol sensing and remediation platforms may provide a sensible means to develop primary and long-term prevention strategies of diseases associated with many environmental toxic insults including halogenated POPs. PMID:24530186

The selectivity of indoor pollution gases (including formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene) over N2 on a set of 37 covalent organic frameworks (COFs) was modeled by combining classical grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) methods and periodic density functional theory with dispersion correction (DFT-D2). The pore volume, pore size, and the isosteric heat (Q st) of gases on COFs were investigated to explore the origin of the high selectivity of pollution gases over N2. We found that the size match between the pore of the COFs and the corresponding pollution gases is the key factor for high selectivity. Additionally, the Q st for the investigated four gases follows the order of toluene > benzene > formaldehyde > N2, which is consistent with the order of selectivity. Furthermore, the favorite sites and interaction energies of pollution gases on COFs were calculated by the periodic DFT-D2 method. Our simulation procedure offers an alternative approach with which to evaluate or design the best candidate porous materials in capture pollution gases.

In the modern society, people are exposed to various pollutants during their lifetime. Worldwide, the status of children's health has changed in recent decades. Some studies have attempted to identify the causes of these changes and whether they relate to pollutant exposure; however, such attempts have faced major challenges because human life is complex, involving many social and environmental factors. Several long-term cohort studies are being conducted to determine the relationship between diseases and social and environmental factors in children. Even before we establish complete proof of adverse effects, we should attempt to decrease risk to future generations by adopting precautionary principles. Environmental exposure to persistent organicpollutants can be reduced throughout the stages of life—the fetal period, newborn and infant periods, childhood, adolescence and adulthood (preconception) by individuals as well as by society as a whole. Through reducing environmental exposure to pollutants, adverse health effects can also be reduced, which will contribute to healthier future generations. Here, we suggest a virtuous cycle for improving the health of future generations through reduced exposure to persistent pollutants. PMID:28515209

Quantifying the remoteness from sources of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) can inform the design of monitoring studies and the interpretation of measurement data. Previous work on quantifying remoteness has not explicitly considered partitioning between the gas phase and aerosols, and between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The objective of this study is to present a metric of remoteness for POPs transported through the atmosphere calculated with a global multimedia fate model, BETR-Research. We calculated the remoteness of regions covering the entire globe from emission sources distributed according to light emissions, and taking into account the multimedia partitioning properties of chemicals and using averaged global climate data. Remoteness for hypothetical chemicals with distinct partitioning properties (volatile, semi-volatile, hydrophilic, low-volatility) and having two different half-lives in air (60-day and 2-day) are presented. Differences in remoteness distribution among the hypothetical chemicals are most pronounced in scenarios assuming 60-day half-life in air. In scenarios with a 2-day half-life in air, degradation dominates over wet and dry deposition processes as a pathway for atmospheric removal of all chemicals except the low-volatility chemical. The remoteness distribution of the low-volatility chemical is strongly dependent on assumptions about degradability on atmospheric aerosols. Calculations that considered seasonal variability in temperature, hydroxyl radical concentrations in the atmosphere and global atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns indicate that variability in hydroxyl radical concentrations largely determines the seasonal variability of remoteness. Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) measured in tree bark from around the world are more highly correlated with remoteness calculated using our methods than with proximity to human population, and we see considerable potential to apply remoteness

Objectives The general aim was to assess dietary exposure to selected persistent organicpollutants (POPs) and metals among Eskimo (Inuit) and Chukchi of the Chukotka Peninsula of the Russian Arctic, and to establish recommendations for exposure risk reduction. Study design A cross-sectional evaluation of nutritional patterns of coastal and inland indigenous peoples of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (in 2001–2003); assessment of the levels of persistent toxic substances (PTSs) in traditional foods and their comparison to Russian food safety limits; the identification of local sources of food contamination; and the recommendation and implementation of risk management measures. Methods Community-based dietary survey of self reported food frequencies (453 persons), chemical analyses (POPs and metals) of local foods and indoor matters (397 samples), substantiation of recommendations for daily (weekly, monthly) intakes of traditional food. Results POPs in traditional food items are generally below the Russian food safety limits except marine mammal fat, while Hg and Cd are high mainly in mammal viscera. Lead is relatively low in tissues of all animals studied. For the Chukotka coastal communities, seals constitute the principal source of the whole suite of PTSs considered. Consumption restrictions are recommended for marine and freshwater fish, some wild meats (waterfowl and seal), fats (whale and seal), liver (most animals) and kidney (reindeer, walrus and seal). Evidence is presented that contamination of foodstuffs may be significantly increased during storing/processing/cooking of food due to indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. Conclusions Based on the analytical findings and the local PTSs sources identified, guidelines on food safety are suggested, as well as measures to reduce food contamination and domestic and local sources. Important and urgent remedial actions are recommended to minimize PTSs environmental and domestic contamination. Waste clean

Congeners are molecules based on the same carbon skeleton but are different by the number of substituents and/or a substitution pattern. Examples are 1-chloronaphthalene, 1,4-dichloronaphthalene, and 1,3,8-trichloronaphthalene. Various persistent organicpollutants (POPs) exist in the environment as families of congeners. Very large numbers of possible congeners make their experimental characterization and risk assessment unfeasible. Computational high-throughput and quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) modeling has been limited by the lack of tools and approaches facilitating analysis of such POP families. We present a comprehensive approach that enables modeling of extremely large congeneric libraries. The approach involves three steps: (1) combinatorial generation of a library of congeners, (2) quantum chemical characterization of each structure at the PM6 semiempirical level to obtain molecular descriptors, and (3) analysis of the information generated in step 2. In steps 1-3, we employ combinatorial, computational, and cheminformatics techniques, respectively. Therefore, this hybrid approach is named "Combinatorial × Computational × Cheminformatics", or just abbreviated as C(3) (or C-cubed) approach. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by generating and characterizing Br- and Cl-substituted congeneric families of 23 typical POPs. The analysis of the resulting set of 1 840 951 congeners that includes Cl-, Br-, and mixed Br/Cl-substituted species, proves that, based on structural similarities defined by the molecular descriptors' values, the existing QSPR models developed originally for Cl- and Br-substituted congeners can be applied also to mixed Br/Cl-substituted ones. Thus, the C(3) approach may serve as a tool for exploring structural applicability domains of the existing QSPR models for congeneric sets.

This study presents chances and challenges associated with the application of organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) as indicators in karst system characterization. The methodology and options of possible indications were evaluated based on the interpretation of the spatial distribution of 54 compounds in groundwater in combination with a complex geological setting consisting of multiple aquifer horizons and tectonic faults. A high variety of OMPs are released mainly in an urban area leading to concentrations of several nanograms per liter up to micrograms per liter, which are detectable using a high-performance liquid chromatography with subsequent tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method. Since characteristic patterns of spatial distribution were repeatedly observed during a 2-year observation period, important criteria of the aforementioned indicator application are fulfilled. Triazoles, compounds with recent high emission rates, could be successfully applied for the identification of flow directions and the delineation of catchment areas. Concentrations and the number of OMPs are believed to be dependent on properties of covering rock layers. Therefore, OMPs can also be used as a validation tool for vulnerability mapping. Compounds, such as triazines, persistent in the system for more than two decades, demonstrate the interaction between different parts of the aquifer system and the hydraulic characteristics of a tectonic fault zone. Such indicator potentials complement those of artificial tracer tests. Point sources of OMPs and their impact on groundwater could be identified qualitatively. In combination with the interpretation of the geological setting, the distribution of OMPs provides essential information for the development of a conceptual hydrogeological model.

The landfilling and dumping of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) and other persistent hazardous compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohaxane (HCH), polybrominated diphenylether (PBDEs) or perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) can have significant adverse environmental consequences. This paper reviews past experiences with such disposal practices and highlights their unsustainability due to the risks of contamination of ecosystems, the food chain, together with ground and drinking water supplies. The use and associated disposal of POPs have been occurring for over 50 years. Concurrent with the phase-out of some of the most hazardous chemicals, the production of new POPs, such as brominated and fluorinated compounds has increased since the 1990s. These latter compounds are commonly used in a wide range of consumer goods, and as consumer products reach the end of their useful lives, ultimately enter waste recycling and disposal systems, in particular at municipal landfills. Because of their very slow, or lack of degradability, POPs will persist in landfills for many decades and possibly centuries. Over these extended time periods engineered landfill systems and their liners are likely to degrade, thus posing a contemporary and future risk of releasing large contaminant loads to the environment. This review highlights the necessity for alternative disposal methods for POP wastes, including destruction or complete removal from potential environmental release. In addition to such end of pipe solutions a policy change in the use pattern of persistent toxic chemicals is inevitable. In addition, inventories for the location and quantity of POPs in landfills, together with an assessment of their threat to ecosystems, drinking water and food resources are identified as key measures to facilitate appropriate management of risks. Finally the challenges of POP wastes in transition/developing countries, the risk of increased leaching of POPs from

Photocatalytic oxidation mediated by TiO(2) is a promising oxidation process for degradation of organicpollutants, but suffers from the decreased photocatalytic efficiency attributed to the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Thus, a cost-effective supply of external electrons is an effective way to elevate the photocatalytic efficiency. Here we report a novel bioelectrochemical system to effectively reduce p-nitrophenol as a model organicpollutant with utilization of the energy derived from a microbial fuel cell. In such a system, there is a synergetic effect between the electrochemical and photocatalytic oxidation processes. Kinetic analysis shows that the system exhibits a more rapid p-nitrophenol degradation at a rate two times the sum of rates by the individual photocatalytic and electrochemical methods. The system performance is influenced by both external resistor and electrolyte concentration. Either a lower external resistor or a lower electrolyte concentration results in a higher p-nitrophenol degradation rate. This system has a potential for the effective degradation of refractory organicpollutants and provides a new way for utilization of the energy generated from conversion of organic wastes by microbial fuel cells.

Current technologies have become a source of omnipresent electromagnetic pollution from generated electromagnetic fields and resulting electromagnetic radiation. In many cases this pollution is much stronger than any natural sources of electromagnetic fields or radiation. The harm caused by this pollution is still open to question since there is no clear and definitive evidence of its negative influence on humans. This is despite the fact that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields were classified as potentially carcinogenic. For these reasons, in recent decades a significant growth can be observed in scientific research in order to understand the influence of electromagnetic radiation on living organisms. However, for this type of research the appropriate selection of relevant model organisms is of great importance. It should be noted here that the great majority of scientific research papers published in this field concerned various tests performed on mammals, practically neglecting lower organisms. In that context the objective of this paper is to systematise our knowledge in this area, in which the influence of electromagnetic radiation on lower organisms was investigated, including bacteria, E. coli and B. subtilis, nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, land snail, Helix pomatia, common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. PMID:25811025

Current technologies have become a source of omnipresent electromagnetic pollution from generated electromagnetic fields and resulting electromagnetic radiation. In many cases this pollution is much stronger than any natural sources of electromagnetic fields or radiation. The harm caused by this pollution is still open to question since there is no clear and definitive evidence of its negative influence on humans. This is despite the fact that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields were classified as potentially carcinogenic. For these reasons, in recent decades a significant growth can be observed in scientific research in order to understand the influence of electromagnetic radiation on living organisms. However, for this type of research the appropriate selection of relevant model organisms is of great importance. It should be noted here that the great majority of scientific research papers published in this field concerned various tests performed on mammals, practically neglecting lower organisms. In that context the objective of this paper is to systematise our knowledge in this area, in which the influence of electromagnetic radiation on lower organisms was investigated, including bacteria, E. coli and B. subtilis, nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, land snail, Helix pomatia, common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and clawed frog, Xenopus laevis.

The microalga Euglena was selected as a bioindicator for determining genotoxicity potencies of organicpollutants in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake, Jiangsu, China among seasons in 2008. Several methods, including the comet assay to determine breaks in DNA and quantification of antioxidant enzymes were applied to characterize genotoxic effects of organic extracts of water from Taihu Lake on the flagellated, microalga Euglena gracilis. Contents of photosynthetic pigments, including Chl a, Chl b and carotenoid pigments were inversely proportion to concentrations of organic extracts to which E. gracilis was exposed. Organic extracts of Taihu Lake water also affected activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) of E. gracilis. There were no statistically significant differences in SOD activities among seasons except in June but significant differences in POD activities were observed among all seasons. The metrics of DNA fragmentation in the alkaline unwinding assay (Comet assay), olive tail moment (OTM) and tail moment (TM), used as measurement endpoints during the genotoxicity assay were both greater when E. gracilis was exposed to organic of water collected from Taihu Lake among four seasons. It is indicated that the comet assay was useful for determining effects of constituents of organic extracts of water on E. gracilis and this assay was effective as an early warning to organicpollutants.

Urbanization strongly impacts aquatic ecosystems by decreasing water quality and altering water cycles. Today, much effort is put towards the restoration and conservation of urban waterbodies to enhance ecosystem service provision, leading to liveable and sustainable cities. To enable a sustainable management of waterbodies, the quantification of the temporal and spatial variability of pollution levels and biogeochemical processes is essential. Stable isotopes have widely been used to identify sources of pollution in ecosystems. For example, increased nitrogen levels in waterbodies are often accompanied with a higher nitrogen stable isotope signature (δ15N), which can then be detected in higher trophic levels such as mussels. The main aim of this study was to assess the suitability of nitrogen stable isotopes as measured in mussels (Mytilus edulis), as an indicator able to resolve spatial and temporal variability of nitrogen pollution in an urban, tidally influenced estuary (Swan River estuary in Western Australia). Nitrogen concentrations were generally low and nitrogen stable isotope values of nitrate throughout the estuary were well within natural values of uncontaminated groundwater, organic nitrate from soils, or marine-derived sources, indicating groundwater inflow rather than pollution by human activity was responsible for differences between sites. The δ15N signature in mussels was very stable over time within each site which indicated that mussels can be used as time-integrated sentinel organisms in urban systems. In addition, our study shows that the nature of the relationship between δ15N in the mussels and the nitrate in the water can provide insights into site-specific biogeochemical transformation of nutrients. We suggest that mussels and other sentinel organisms can become a robust tool for the detection and characterization of the dynamics of a number of emerging anthropogenic pollutants of concern in urban water systems.

Many organicpollutants are readily degradable by microorganisms in soil, but the importance of soil organic matter for their transformation by specific microbial taxa is unknown. In this study, sorption and microbial degradation of phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) were characterized in three soil variants, generated by different long-term fertilization regimes. Compared with a non-fertilized control (NIL), a mineral-fertilized NPK variant showed 19% and a farmyard manure treated FYM variant 46% more soil organic carbon (SOC). Phenol sorption declined with overall increasing SOC because of altered affinities to the clay fraction (soil particles <2 mm in diameter). In contrast, DCP sorption correlated positively with particulate soil organic matter (present in the soil particle fractions of 63–2000 μm). Stable isotope probing identified Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter (both Actinobacteria) and Cryptococcus (Basidiomycota) as the main degraders of phenol. Rhodococcus and Cryptococcus were not affected by SOC, but the participation of Arthrobacter declined in NPK and even more in FYM. 14C-DCP was hardly metabolized in the NIL variant, more efficiently in FYM and most in NPK. In NPK, Burkholderia was the main degrader and in FYM Variovorax. This study demonstrates a strong effect of SOC on the partitioning of organicpollutants to soil particle size fractions and indicates the profound consequences that this process could have for the diversity of bacteria involved in their degradation. PMID:24430482

Many organicpollutants are readily degradable by microorganisms in soil, but the importance of soil organic matter for their transformation by specific microbial taxa is unknown. In this study, sorption and microbial degradation of phenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) were characterized in three soil variants, generated by different long-term fertilization regimes. Compared with a non-fertilized control (NIL), a mineral-fertilized NPK variant showed 19% and a farmyard manure treated FYM variant 46% more soil organic carbon (SOC). Phenol sorption declined with overall increasing SOC because of altered affinities to the clay fraction (soil particles <2 mm in diameter). In contrast, DCP sorption correlated positively with particulate soil organic matter (present in the soil particle fractions of 63-2000 μm). Stable isotope probing identified Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter (both Actinobacteria) and Cryptococcus (Basidiomycota) as the main degraders of phenol. Rhodococcus and Cryptococcus were not affected by SOC, but the participation of Arthrobacter declined in NPK and even more in FYM. (14)C-DCP was hardly metabolized in the NIL variant, more efficiently in FYM and most in NPK. In NPK, Burkholderia was the main degrader and in FYM Variovorax. This study demonstrates a strong effect of SOC on the partitioning of organicpollutants to soil particle size fractions and indicates the profound consequences that this process could have for the diversity of bacteria involved in their degradation.

Under the auspices of Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), a Russian-Norwegian co-operation project was established to assess the exposure of delivering women to persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in Arctic areas of Russia. In the period 1993-95 blood and breast milk samples were collected from 94 delivering women in Yamal and Tajmyr Autonomous Regions of Siberia. Concentrations of chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined by high resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The POP levels in maternal plasma among the non-indigenous women were higher than the native population, especially in total PCB, HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexanes) and the DDT-group. The dietary questionnaires showed that the non-indigenous populations consumed considerably less local food items like reindeer meat and fresh water fish. There was no correlation between local food consumption and elevated levels of pollutants. Even if the indigenous groups had lower concentrations of the most important pollutants than the non-indigenous population, they were still higher than the levels measured in the Scandinavian countries of the AMAP-study and up to levels of medical concern. The most important sources of organicpollutants for the Russian Arctic populations of Yamal and Tajmyr seems to be imported food from other areas of Russia and local use of pesticides. It must be a high priority concern to further elucidate these trends and initiate prophylactic measures for the exposed population groups.

The influence of each of four organicpollutants selected from among those commonly found in coastal areas, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (DDE), monobutyltin (MBT), Triton X-100 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on Cu accumulation by Halimione portulacoides was investigated. Experiments were carried out in a laboratory setting, either in hydroponics (sediment elutriate) or in a salt marsh sediment ( Cávado River, NW Portugal) soaked in elutriate. Groups of H. portulacoides were exposed to media for 6 days spiked with 10 mg/L Cu(II) and with one of the selected pollutants, at an environmentally realistic concentration. DDE and MBT did not cause any major change on Cu accumulation by H. portulacoides, whereas PAHs slightly increased accumulation only in hydroponics i.e. in the absence of sediment. On the other hand, the non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 markedly favoured Cu accumulation on plant roots both in the presence and absence of sediment. The addition of DDE, MBT and Triton X-100 also favoured Cu solubility from sediments. Therefore, the simultaneous presence of pollutants from different nature (inorganic and organic) in the estuarine environment may result in a composition of water column, pore water, sediment or biota different of that expected considering the effect of each individual pollutant.

Aiming to evaluate the effects of organicpollution, environmental parameters and phytoplankton community were monitored during a two-year period (from April 2010 till March 2012) in the central coast of Lebanon in the Levantine Sub-basin. Data were collected for hydrological (temperature and salinity), chemical (nitrites, nitrates and phosphates), and biological (chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton populations) parameters. Our results show that temperature follows its normal seasonal and annual cycles, usually noted in the Lebanese coastal waters. Salinity presents spatial and temporal variations with low values (19.07 - 39.6) in the areas affected by continental inputs. Significant fluctuations (P < 0.05) of nutrients, Chl-a concentrations and density of total phytoplanktonic cells were observed between the sites and through the years. Moreover, a perturbation of the natural phytoplanktonic succession and an occurrence of toxic or potentially harmful algae were noticed in the polluted sites, reflecting the influence of wastewater effluents on the coastal seawater equilibrium and thus on the Lebanese marine biodiversity. This study sheds the light on the current environmental condition of few coastal areas which could facilitate the management of their pollution sources. Keywords: Organicpollution, phytoplankton community, toxic algae, coastal water quality, Lebanon, Mediterranean Sea.

Levels of toxic organicpollutants (TOP) were examined in the blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, of Virginia waters. Alkyl substituted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (ASPAH), thought derived from weathered petroleum, were the most common organicpollutants present. Unsubstituted aromatics, heterosubstituted aromatics, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and DDT metabolites were also detected by the analytical procedure employed. Highest levels of ASPAH were found in crabs from the heavily industrialized Hampton Roads area of the James River. Lower concentrations were detected in crabs from the Pocomoke Sound, the upper James and the Rappahannock River sampling sites. PCB levels were elevated in samples taken from both James River stations. Levels of TOP were generally higher in crabs sampled in June than in September of 1981. Concentrations of pollutants in the tissues and tissue lipid content were correlated. Highest levels of both were detected in the hepatopancreas, followed by egg, ovary and muscle. TOP levels in field samples in in-vivo biotransformation of the model compound benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) in the hepatopancreas, during in-laboratory experiments, suggested that differences may exist in the uptake and elimination of pollutants as a function of the sex and maturity of the crabs. It appeared that the metabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons varied with the molt stage of the crabs.

In order to analyze the advantages/disadvantages of the combined treatment process between "physicochemical + biochemical" and "biochemical + physicochemical" in treatment of textile wastewater, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the degradation process of organicpollutants in this two totally different treatment processes. The same analysis was also conducted to the sludge and discharged water. The results showed that the "physicochemical + biochemical" process displayed a poorer effect than "biochemical + physicochemical" in degrading the organicpollutants. The latter was 6.2% higher than the former in removing the organicpollutants averagely. The difference was mainly manifested in the efficiency of anaerobic hydrolysis in the two coupled processes. Moreover, the implement of "physicochemical + biochemical" process resulted in the migration of plenty of typical organicpollutants to sludge from primary coagulation sedimentation process and to the discharged water, which would cause secondary pollution easily.

A distinct lack of historical and current data on the status of organicpollutant contaminants within the South African marine environment is evident. This has highlighted the need for more current organicpollutant assessments. Reference mussels and SPMDs were transplanted at five South African harbour sites to assess organic bioaccumulation in brown mussels (Perna perna) and semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs). Spatial patterns of PAH and PCB contaminants were determined by GC-MS and GC-ECD after appropriate sample preparation. Significant (p<0.05) spatial differences were observed between the sites. Results indicate no correlations between the passive device and the transplanted mussels; however the SPMDs provided complementary information on the presence of dioxin-like PCBs within the environment not detected by the mussel. The results indicate that information provided by both the mussels and SPMDs allow for a more in depth scrutiny of environmental conditions as a result of anthropogenic influence.

Central pattern generators (CPGs) located in the spinal cord produce the coordinated activation of flexor and extensor motoneurons during locomotion. Previously proposed architectures for the spinal locomotor CPG have included the classical half-center oscillator and the unit burst generator (UBG) comprised of multiple coupled oscillators. We have recently proposed another organization in which a two-level CPG has a common rhythm generator (RG) that controls the operation of the pattern formation (PF) circuitry responsible for motoneuron activation. These architectures are discussed in relation to recent data obtained during fictive locomotion in the decerebrate cat. The data show that the CPG can maintain the period and phase of locomotor oscillations both during spontaneous deletions of motoneuron activity and during sensory stimulation affecting motoneuron activity throughout the limb. The proposed two-level CPG organization has been investigated with a computational model which incorporates interactions between the CPG, spinal circuits and afferent inputs. The model includes interacting populations of spinal interneurons and motoneurons modeled in the Hodgkin-Huxley style. Our simulations demonstrate that a relatively simple CPG with separate RG and PF networks can realistically reproduce many experimental phenomena including spontaneous deletions of motoneuron activity and a variety of effects of afferent stimulation. The model suggests plausible explanations for a number of features of real CPG operation that would be difficult to explain in the framework of the classical single-level CPG organization. Some modeling predictions and directions for further studies of locomotor CPG organization are discussed. PMID:17936363

Chemical oscillating patterns are ubiquitous in geochemical systems. Although many such patterns result from systematic variations in the external environmental conditions, it is recognized that some patterns are due to intrinsic self-organized processes in a non-equilibrium nonlinear system with positive feedback. In rocks and minerals, periodic precipitation (Liesegang bands) and oscillatory zoning constitute good examples of patterns that can be explained using concepts from nonlinear dynamics. Generally, as the system parameters exceed some threshold values, the steady (time-independent) state characterizing the system loses its stability. The system then evolves towards other time-dependent solutions ('attractors') that may have an oscillatory behaviour or a complex chaotic one. In this review, we describe many of these pattern types taken from a variety of geological environments: eruptive, sedimentary, hydrothermal or metamorphic. One particular example (periodic precipitation of pyrite bands in an evolving sapropel sediment) is presented here for the first time. This will help in convincing the reader that the tools of nonlinear dynamics may be useful to understand the history of our planet.

Chemical oscillating patterns are ubiquitous in geochemical systems. Although many such patterns result from systematic variations in the external environmental conditions, it is recognized that some patterns are due to intrinsic self-organized processes in a non-equilibrium nonlinear system with positive feedback. In rocks and minerals, periodic precipitation (Liesegang bands) and oscillatory zoning constitute good examples of patterns that can be explained using concepts from nonlinear dynamics. Generally, as the system parameters exceed some threshold values, the steady (time-independent) state characterizing the system loses its stability. The system then evolves towards other time-dependent solutions ('attractors') that may have an oscillatory behaviour or a complex chaotic one. In this review, we describe many of these pattern types taken from a variety of geological environments: eruptive, sedimentary, hydrothermal or metamorphic. One particular example (periodic precipitation of pyrite bands in an evolving sapropel sediment) is presented here for the first time. This will help in convincing the reader that the tools of nonlinear dynamics may be useful to understand the history of our planet.

High toxicity, bioaccumulation factor and widespread dispersal of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) cause environmental and human health hazards. The combined use of plants and bacteria is a promising approach for the remediation of soil and water contaminated with POPs. Plants provide residency and nutrients to their associated rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria. In return, the bacteria support plant growth by the degradation and detoxification of POPs. Moreover, they improve plant growth and health due to their innate plant growth-promoting mechanisms. This review provides a critical view of factors that affect absorption and translocation of POPs in plants and the limitations that plant have to deal with during the remediation of POPs. Moreover, the synergistic effects of plant-bacteria interactions in the phytoremediation of organicpollutants with special reference to POPs are discussed.

This review describes medium and high molecular weight organic material found in wastewaters from pulp and paper industry. The aim is to review the versatile pollutants and the analysis methods for their determination. Among other pollutants, biocides, extractives, and lignin-derived compounds are major contributors to harmful effects, such as toxicity, of industrial wastewaters. Toxicity of wastewaters from pulp and paper mills is briefly evaluated including the methods for toxicity analyses. Traditionally, wastewater purification includes mechanical treatment followed by chemical and/or biological treatment processes. A variety of methods are available for the purification of industrial wastewaters, including aerobic and anaerobic processes. However, some fractions of organic material, such as lignin and its derivatives, are difficult to degrade. Therefore, novel chemical methods, including electrochemical and oxidation processes, have been developed for separate use or in combination with biological treatment processes.

Multiple regression models, clustering tree diagrams, regression trees (CHAID) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were applied to the study of the removal of organic matter and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from urban wastewater by means of constructed wetlands (CWs). These four statistical analyses pointed out the importance of physico-chemical parameters, plant presence and chemical structure in the elimination of most pollutants. Temperature, pH values, dissolved oxygen concentration, redox potential and conductivity were related to the removal of the studied substances. Plant presence (Typha angustifolia and Phragmites australis) enhanced the removal of organic matter and some PPCPs. Multiple regression equations and CHAID trees provided numerical estimations of pollutant removal efficiencies in CWs. These models were validated and they could be a useful and interesting tool for the quick estimation of removal efficiencies in already working CWs and for the design of new systems which must fulfil certain quality requirements.

Organicpollutants effects on lichens have not been addressed. Rehydration is critical for lichens, a burst of free radicals involving NO occurs. Repeated dehydrations with organicpollutants could increase oxidative damage. Our aim is to learn the effects of cumene hydroperoxide (CP) during lichen rehydration using Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach., its photobiont Trebouxia spp. and Asterochloris erici. Confocal imaging shows intracellular ROS and NO production within myco and phycobionts, being the chloroplast the main source of free radicals. CP increases ROS, NO and lipid peroxidation and reduces chlorophyll autofluorescence, although photosynthesis remains unaffected. Concomitant NO inhibition provokes a generalized increase of ROS and a decrease in photosynthesis. Our results suggest that CP induces a compensatory hormetic response in Ramalina farinacea that could reduce the lichen's antioxidant resources after repeated desiccation-rehydration cycles. NO is important in the protection from CP.

Oocyte maturation of the starfish, fertilization and embryogenesis of sea urchins, and the development of amphioxus and brine shrimps were used to assay the effects of several common metals and agrichemicals frequently found in marine environments. While brine shrimp embryos were tolerant to metals and agrichemicals used here, sea urchins and amphioxus showed a differential response to the common metal pollutants. Starfish oocyte maturation process was affected by agrichemicals. The results show that no one single organism, or its embryonic form, or a particular stage of development, can be used as the indicator for a particular pollutant. However, the use of lower forms of marine organisms can be useful collectively for environmental investigations and the management of waste disposal.

Particulate air pollution has demonstrated significant health effects ranging from worsening of asthma to increased rates of respiratory and cardiopulmonary mortality. These results have prompted the US-EPA to include particulate matter (PM) as one of the six criteria air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act. The diverse chemical make-up and physical characteristics of PM make it a challenging pollutant to characterize and regulate. Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) has the ability to travel deep into the lungs and therefore has been linked with some of the more significant health effects. The toxicity of any given particle is likely dependent on its chemical composition. The goal of this project has been to chemically characterize a long time series of PM 2.5 measurements collected at a receptor site in Denver to a level of detail that has not been done before on this size data set. This has involved characterization of inorganic ions using ion chromatography, total elemental and organic carbon using thermal optical transmission, and organic molecular marker species using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methods have been developed to allow for daily measurement and speciation for these compounds over a six year period. Measurement methods, novel approaches to uncertainty estimation, time series analysis, spectral and pattern analyses and source apportionment using two multivariate factor analysis models are presented. Analysis results reveal several natural and anthropogenic sources contributing to PM2.5 in Denver. The most distinguishable sources are motor vehicles and biomass combustion. This information will be used in a health effect analysis as part of a larger study called the Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study. Such results will inform regulatory decisions and may help create a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for the observed adverse health effects associated with PM2.5.

Persistent and emerging organicpollutants were sampled in September 2012 and 2013 at a sampling site in front of the Three Gorges Dam near Maoping (China) in a water depth between 11 and 61 m to generate a depth profile of analytes. A novel compact water sampling system with self-packed glass cartridges was employed for the on-site enrichment of approximately 300 L of water per sample to enable the detection of low analytes levels in the picogram per liter-scale in the large water body. The overall performance of the sampling system was acceptable for the qualitative detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), perfluoroalkylic acids (PFAAs), pharmaceutical residues and polar pesticides. Strongly particle-associated analytes like PAHs and PCBs resided mainly in the glass wool filter of the sampling system, whereas all other compounds have mainly been enriched on the XAD-resin of the self-packed glass cartridges. The sampling results revealed qualitative information on the presence, depth distribution and origin of the investigated compounds. Although the depth profile of PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, and PFAAs appeared to be homogeneous, pharmaceuticals and polar pesticides were detected in distinct different patterns with water depth. Source analysis with diagnostic ratios for PAHs revealed their origin to be pyrogenic (burning of coal, wood and grass). In contrast, most PCBs and OCPs had to be regarded as legacy pollutants which have been released into the environment in former times and still remain present due to their persistence. The abundance of emerging organicpollutants could be confirmed, and their most abundant compounds could be identified as perfluorooctanoic acid, diclofenac and atrazine among investigated PFAAs, pharmaceuticals and polar pesticides, respectively.

The surface sediments, two bivalves (Arca senilis and Crassostera gasar) and three gastropods (Conus spp., Hexaplex duplex and Pugilina morio) from two Senegalese stations, Falia (Sine-Saloum Estuary) and Fadiouth (Petite Côte), were analyzed for their pollutantorganic persistent contamination (polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs; organochlorinated pesticides OCPs; polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDEs). Results revealed significant levels of PCBs, DDTs and lindane in mangrove sediments ranging from 0.3 to 19.1, 0.3 to 15.9, and 0.1 to 1.9 ng g(-1) d.w., respectively. Among the other POPs analysed, only hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor and trans-nonachlor for OCPs, as well as BDE47 and BDE99 congeners for PBDEs were detected at very low concentrations, generally not of concern. POP levels and patterns were in good accordance with literature data available for other tropical developing countries. A seasonal quantitative difference was highlighted with higher levels of PCBs and DDTs in sediments after the wet season, likely due to the strong wash-out of residues from inland to the marine ecosystems during the rainy season. The observed pattern of DDT and its metabolites pointed out probable recent applications of DDT for public health emergencies in Senegal. Exploited molluscs were exposed to the same POP compounds as those measured in sediments. They presented OCP levels within the same range as in sediments, while significant higher concentrations of PCBs were observed in shellfish soft tissues revealing a higher bioaccumulation potential mainly due to the lipophilicity of these compounds. Finally, the influence of the reproduction cycle on POP levels through lipid content variations was highlighted, minimizing potential differences in POP bioaccumulation between shellfish species. From an ecotoxicological and public health point of view, results from this study revealed that POPs in sediments from the Petite Côte and the Sine-Saloum Estuary would not cause toxic effects

The fate of organicpollutants in the environment is influenced by several factors including the type and strength of their interactions with soil components especially SOM. However, a molecular level answer to the question "How organicpollutants interact with SOM?" is still lacking. In order to explore mechanisms of this interaction, we have developed a new SOM model and carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in parallel with sorption experiments. The new SOM model comprises free SOM functional groups (carboxylic acid and naphthalene) as well as SOM cavities (with two different sizes), simulating the soil voids, containing the same SOM functional groups. To examine the effect of the hydrophobicity on the interaction, the organicpollutants hexachlorobenzene (HCB, non-polar) and sulfanilamide (SAA, polar) were considered. The experimental and theoretical investigations explored four major points regarding sorption of SAA and HCB on soil, yielding the following results. 1--The interaction depends on the SOM chemical composition more than the SOM content. 2--The interaction causes a site-specific adsorption on the soil surfaces. 3--Sorption hysteresis occurs, which can be explained by inclusion of these pollutants inside soil voids. 4--The hydrophobic HCB is adsorbed on soil stronger than the hydrophilic SAA. Moreover, the theoretical results showed that HCB forms stable complexes with all SOM models in the aqueous solution, while most of SAA-SOM complexes are accompanied by dissociation into SAA and the free SOM models. The SOM-cavity modeling had a significant effect on binding of organicpollutants to SOM. Both HCB and SAA bind to the SOM models in the order of models with a small cavity>a large cavity>no cavity. Although HCB binds to all SOM models stronger than SAA, the latter is more affected by the presence of the cavity. Finally, HCB and SAA bind to the hydrophobic functional group (naphthalene) stronger than to the hydrophilic one (carboxylic acid

Different branches of modern agriculture rely on different cultural patterns of soil understanding; and they are supported by different schools of thought in soil science with their specific values and perspectives. For example, the European branch of organic agriculture, as it developed mainly in the 20th Century, is rooted in specific cultural concepts and was supported by associated minorities, or rather marginalised tendencies, within the soil science community. Some cases: It is about the transformations of living or organic matter, linked with debates on "microbes" and "life particles", "tissues" and macromolecules in the humus-sphere. It is about the "industrialised economical-technical paradigm" versus an "organic" or "ecological paradigm" - whatever both may be. It is about the relevance respectively of the "duties" of control by power, or by relatedness and "intercourse" in agricultural human-nature interaction. It is about the male and female qualities of effective God-images - both in their "religious" as well as their "secular" representations in individuals' and society's relation with nature and when dealing with soil. In today's conceptual and strategic debates and power struggles over how to sustainably feed from the land, we see patterns similar to those from the 19th and 20th Centuries in action. But the threats they pose are not yet sufficiently realised; the opportunities they offer are not yet sufficiently fulfilled. In this presentation, using the example of cultural patterns inside organic agriculture in Europe, some cultural problems and tasks will be highlighted, to which geosciences are of course confronted, being part of human society.

In this study, a new catalytic degradation technology using microwave induced carbon nanotubes (MW/CNTs) was proposed and applied in the treatment of organicpollutants in aqueous solution. The catalytic activity of three CNTs of 10-20nm, 20-40nm, and 40-60nm diameters were compared. The results showed that organicpollutants such as methyl orange (MO), methyl parathion (MP), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), bisphenol A (BPA), and methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution could be degraded effectively and rapidly in MW/CNTs system. CNTs with diameter of 10-20nm exhibited the highest catalytic activity of the three CNTs under MW irradiation. Further, complete degradation was obtained using 10-20nm CNTs within 7.0min irradiation when 25mL MO solution (25mg/L), 1.2g/L catalyst dose, 450W, 2450MHz, and pH=6.0 were applied. The rate constants (k) for the degradation of SDBS, MB, MP, MO and BPA using 10-20nm CNTs/MW system were 0.726, 0.679, 0.463, 0.334 and 0.168min(-1), respectively. Therefore, this technology may have potential application for the treatment of targeted organicpollutants in wastewaters.

The surface of plants is covered by a continuous but heterogeneous cuticular membrane (CM). Serving as the first protective barrier, the uptake and transport behavior of organicpollutants at this interface continue to engage the research efforts of environmental chemist. To date, the contributions of cuticular components as a defense against the organicpollutants penetration remain unresolved. In this study, the unsteady-state penetration characteristics of phenanthrene (PHE) through isolated fruit CM was investigated. PHE penetration was differentiated by three cuticular compartments: epicuticular waxes (EW), cuticle proper (CP) and cuticular layer (CL). The driving force for PHE penetration was ascribed to the sharp concentration gradient built up endogenously by cuticular compartments with different lipophilic affinities. A modified penetration model was established and verified in terms of its general suitability for the hydrophobic chemicals and CMs of various plant species (apple, tomato and potato). The new three-compartment model demonstrates much higher accuracy in characterizing the uptake and transport behavior of semivolatile chemicals with fewer limitations in terms of environmental conditions and complexity (e.g., coexisting contaminants and temperature). This model could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding on the role of polymeric lipids in the organicpollutant sorption and transport into plants. PMID:27009902

The surface of plants is covered by a continuous but heterogeneous cuticular membrane (CM). Serving as the first protective barrier, the uptake and transport behavior of organicpollutants at this interface continue to engage the research efforts of environmental chemist. To date, the contributions of cuticular components as a defense against the organicpollutants penetration remain unresolved. In this study, the unsteady-state penetration characteristics of phenanthrene (PHE) through isolated fruit CM was investigated. PHE penetration was differentiated by three cuticular compartments: epicuticular waxes (EW), cuticle proper (CP) and cuticular layer (CL). The driving force for PHE penetration was ascribed to the sharp concentration gradient built up endogenously by cuticular compartments with different lipophilic affinities. A modified penetration model was established and verified in terms of its general suitability for the hydrophobic chemicals and CMs of various plant species (apple, tomato and potato). The new three-compartment model demonstrates much higher accuracy in characterizing the uptake and transport behavior of semivolatile chemicals with fewer limitations in terms of environmental conditions and complexity (e.g., coexisting contaminants and temperature). This model could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding on the role of polymeric lipids in the organicpollutant sorption and transport into plants.

Persistent chemicals and emerging pollutants are continuously detected in marine waters and biota. Out of these, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCs) are significant contaminants with decades of presence in the marine environment. The Mediterranean Sea is an ecosystem directly affected by a variety of anthropogenic activities including industry, municipal, touristic, commercial and agricultural. The Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is a filter feeder, which presents wide distribution. In this regard, the specific organism was used as a biological indicator for the monitoring and evaluation of pollution in the studied areas with focus on the mentioned chemical groups. Pristine Turkish sites with minimum effect from anthropogenic activities, in contrast with Greek sites which were subjected to heavy industrial and shipping activity, were selected. A gas chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric method (GC-MS/MS) was developed and validated to monitor 34 compounds (16 EPA priority PAHs and 18 OCs). Analyses of mussel samples in 2011 from sites with the limited anthropogenic pollution shores have shown the occurrence of 11 pollutants (6 PAHs, 5 OCs), while in the samples from sites with intensive activity and expected pollution, 12 PAHs and 6 OCs were detected. Biochemical and biological responses studied only in mussels samples from the sites with the highest contamination showed a situation that was under strong seasonal influence. The intensity of the response was also influenced by deployment duration. Noteworthy correlations were detected among biochemical/biological effects and between mussel body burden and these effects. Continuous monitoring of priority pollutants of East Mediterranean Sea is vital both for ecological and human risk assessment purposes.

This paper tries to discern the mechanistic features of sonochemical degradation of recalcitrant organicpollutants using five model compounds, viz. phenol (Ph), chlorobenzene (CB), nitrobenzene (NB), p-nitrophenol (PNP) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). The sonochemical degradation of the pollutant can occur in three distinct pathways: hydroxylation by ()OH radicals produced from cavitation bubbles (either in the bubble-bulk interfacial region or in the bulk liquid medium), thermal decomposition in cavitation bubble and thermal decomposition at the bubble-liquid interfacial region. With the methodology of coupling experiments under different conditions (which alter the nature of the cavitation phenomena in the bulk liquid medium) with the simulations of radial motion of cavitation bubbles, we have tried to discern the relative contribution of each of the above pathway to overall degradation of the pollutant. Moreover, we have also tried to correlate the predominant degradation mechanism to the physico-chemical properties of the pollutant. The contribution of secondary factors such as probability of radical-pollutant interaction and extent of radical scavenging (or conservation) in the medium has also been identified. Simultaneous analysis of the trends in degradation with different experimental techniques and simulation results reveals interesting mechanistic features of sonochemical degradation of the model pollutants. The physical properties that determine the predominant degradation pathway are vapor pressure, solubility and hydrophobicity. Degradation of Ph occurs mainly by hydroxylation in bulk medium; degradation of CB occurs via thermal decomposition inside the bubble, degradation of PNP occurs via pyrolytic decomposition at bubble interface, while hydroxylation at bubble interface contributes to degradation of NB and 2,4-DCP.

Plastic resin pellets collected at Minh Chau island and Ba Lat estuary between 2007 and 2014 in Vietnam were analyzed for dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). The study was carried out as part of the International Pellet Watch program for monitoring the global distribution of persistent organicpollutants (POPs). Higher levels of DDTs compared to PCBs indicated agricultural inputs rather than industrial discharges in the region. Most POP concentrations on both beaches decreased over the period, with the exception of HCH isomers. Though the concentration of DDTs showed a drastic decline on both beaches between 2007/2008 and 2014, DDTs accounted for 60-80% of total DDTs, suggesting that there is still a fresh input of these chemicals in the region. This study strongly recommends further investigations to track temporal and spatial patterns of POP levels in the marine environment using plastic resin pellets.

Polyethylene pellets provide a convenient means to monitor Persistent OrganicPollutants (POPs) in marine systems. Pellets collected between 1984 and 2008 at three South African beaches were analysed for PCB, HCH and DDT. Concentrations of all three POPs decreased over the last two decades, although this signal was less clear for PCBs, and further monitoring is needed to assess trends in this family of compounds. DDT concentrations at two sites were higher than previous records for southern Africa, but there is no evidence of a link to the ongoing use of DDT for malaria control. HCHs concentrations were lower than in pellets from the east coast of southern Africa, suggesting that this pesticide was mainly used in the eastern part of the region. Our study demonstrates the potential for International Pellet Watch to track temporal as well as geographical patterns in the abundance of POPs in marine environments.

We investigated activity patterns of 17 elementary school students aged 10-12, and 19 high school students aged 13-17, in suburban Los Angeles during the oxidant pollution season. Individuals' relationships between ventilation rate (VR) and heart rate (HR) were calibrated' in supervised outdoor walking/jogging. Log VR was consistently proportional to HR; although calibrations' were limited by a restricted range of exercise, and possibly by artifact due to mouthpiece breathing, which may cause overestimation of VR at rest. Each subject then recorded activities in diaries, and recorded HR once per minute by wearing Heart Watches, over 3 days (Saturday-Monday). For each activity the subject estimated a breathing rate--slow (slow walking), medium (fast walking), or fast (running). VR ranges for each breathing rate and activity type were estimated from HR recordings. High-school students' diaries showed their aggregate distribution of waking hours as 68% slow inside, 8% slow outside, 10% medium inside, 9% medium outside, 1.5% fast inside, 1.5% fast outside. Elementary students' distribution was 47% slow inside, 15% slow outside, 20% medium inside, 12% medium outside, 2.5% fast inside, 3.5% fast outside. Sleep occupied 38% of high-school students' and 40% of elementary students' time; HR were generally lower in sleep than in slow waking activity. High school students' mean VR estimates were 13 L/min for slow breathing, 18 for medium, and 23 for fast; elementary students' were 14 slow, 18 medium, and 19 fast. VR distributions were approximately lognormal. Maximum estimated VR were approximately 70 L/min in elementary and approximately 100 L/min in high school students. Compared to adults studied similarly, students reported more medium or fast breathing, and had equal or higher VR estimates during slow and medium breathing despite their smaller size. These results suggest that, relative to body size, young people inhale larger doses of outdoor air pollutants than adults.

In colloids isolated from Chesapeake Bay and its subestuaries the concentrations of Al, Fe, and a number of trace elements were determined to vary with the clay mineral fraction that was most abundant in freshwater samples collected during the winter. The elements As, Ba, Sb, and Zn, however, increased with increasing organic content, indicating a covariance with the organic component. Organic analyses for amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids indicate that these biopolymers comprised 4 to 22%, 20 to 60%, and less than 1%, respectively, of the colloidal organic carbon in these samples. The results are significant because amino acids and carbohydrates contain oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur functional groups capable of reacting with trace metals and organicpollutants. The sorption properties of several neutral hydrophobic organic compounds, including PAHs and herbicides, and several aromatic amines were investigated using the estuarine colloidal material. The effects of several environmental variables on these sorption properties were determined. The results indicate that colloids have the capacity to sorb and transport relatively insoluble pollutants that otherwise might remain immobile in the environment. Colloidal organic matter in natural water systems may serve as substrates for the sorption or binding of organic contaminants. Although most of the data has been developed using neutral hydrophobic organic compounds, data also exist for selected polar compound groups such as aromatic amines. The chemical behavior of these compound groups in interaction with DOM appears to have some similarity to their chemical interaction with sediments and soils. Partitioning constants are linear, except for polar compounds, and appear to be closely correlated to fundamental compound properties such as solubilities and octanol-water partition coefficients. 84 references.

Carbon rich hard mask underlayer (UL) material deposition has become inevitable process in all advanced lithography applications. UL processes which include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and spin-on UL play a very important role for pattern transfer from patterned thin photoresist to the substrate. UL materials must satisfy several requirements, which have become more demanding with device shrinkage and increasing device complexity (FinFET, 3D integration). The most important properties of next generation UL materials are superior wiggle resistance, etch controllability, thermal resistance, planarization, and gap filling performance. In particular, planarization and gap fill properties of UL material for application on topo-patterned substrate are receiving much attention recently. CVD processes generally give better wiggle performance and thermal resistance, but poorer planarization and gap filling performance than spin-on UL processes. In addition, Cost of Ownership (CoO) of CVD process is higher than that of a spin-on UL process. Therefore spin-on organic hard mask (OHM) process has been investigated as an attractive alternative to CVD processing. In this paper, we focus on an investigation of key properties of spin-on UL materials for achieving good planarity and gap filling performance on topo-patterned substrate. Various material properties such as solution viscosity, glass transition temperature (Tg), and film shrinkage ratio were evaluated and correlations between these properties and planarization were discussed.

Organicpollutants in sediments are a worldwide problem because sediments act as sinks for hydrophobic, recalcitrant and hazardous compounds. Depending on biogeochemical processes these hydrocarbons are involved in adsorption, desorption and transformation processes and can be made available to benthic organisms as well as organisms in the water column through the sediment-water interface. Most of these recalcitrant hydrocarbons are toxic and carcinogenic, they may enter the food-chain and accumulate in biological tissue. Several approaches are being investigated or have been already used to remove organic hydrocarbons from sediments. This paper provides a review on types and sources of organicpollutants as well as their behavior in sediments. It presents the advantages and disadvantages of traditional sediment remediation techniques in use, such as dredging, capping and monitored natural attenuation. Furthermore, it describes new approaches with emphasis on bioremediation, like biostimulation, bioaugmentation and phytoremediation applied to sediments. These new techniques promise to be of lower impact and more cost efficient than traditional management strategies.

The biosolids (BS) generated in the wastewater treatment process of a meat processing plant were monitored and the priority pollutant content was characterized. The trace metal and organicpollutant content - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) - were determined quantitatively and compared to guideline limits established by the US EPA and EU. PCBs were not detected in the solid samples, while trace metals, PAHs and PCDD/PCDF were detected in concentrations below the limits established by international standards. Toxic equivalent factors were evaluated for the biosolids, and the results proved that these wastes can be safely deposited on land or used in combustion/incineration plants. Since no previous data were found for meat processing waste, comparisons were made using municipal sewage sludge data reported in the literature. Since, this report monitored part of the priority pollutants established by the US EPA for meat and poultry processing wastewater and sludge, the results verified that low pollution loads are generated by the meat processing plant located in the southern part of Brazil. However, the BS generated in the treatment processes are in accordance with the limits established for waste disposal and even for soil fertilizer.

The biosolids (BS) generated in the wastewater treatment process of a meat processing plant were monitored and the priority pollutant content was characterized. The trace metal and organicpollutant content--polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF)--were determined quantitatively and compared to guideline limits established by the US EPA and EU. PCBs were not detected in the solid samples, while trace metals, PAHs and PCDD/PCDF were detected in concentrations below the limits established by international standards. Toxic equivalent factors were evaluated for the biosolids, and the results proved that these wastes can be safely deposited on land or used in combustion/incineration plants. Since no previous data were found for meat processing waste, comparisons were made using municipal sewage sludge data reported in the literature. Since, this report monitored part of the priority pollutants established by the US EPA for meat and poultry processing wastewater and sludge, the results verified that low pollution loads are generated by the meat processing plant located in the southern part of Brazil. However, the BS generated in the treatment processes are in accordance with the limits established for waste disposal and even for soil fertilizer.

This study used selected ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as pollution tracers to study the effects of meteorology on air quality. A remote coastal site was chosen as a receptor to monitor pollutants transported upwind from urban traffic and industrial sources. Large concentration variability in VOC concentrations was observed at the coastal site due to rapid changes in meteorology, which caused periodic land-sea exchange of air masses. To assure the quality of the on-line measurements, uniform concentrations of chlorofluorocarbon-113 (CFC-113) were exploited as an internal check of the instrument's stability and the resulting data quality. A VOC speciated air quality model was employed to simulate both temporal and spatial distributions of VOC plumes. The model successfully captured the general features of the variations of toluene as a pollution tracer, which suggests that emissions and meteorology were reasonably well simulated in the model. Through validation by observation, the model can display both the temporal and spatial distribution of air pollutants in a dynamic manner. Thus, a more insightful understanding of how local air quality is affected by meteorology can be obtained.

Bicarbonate anion is an efficient activator for hydrogen peroxide to generate many active oxygen species including peroxymonocarbonate (HCO(4)(-)), superoxide ion (O(2)(-)) and singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)). This study aims to understand the oxidative degradation of organicpollutants including methyl blue, methyl orange, rhodamine B, and 4-chlorophenol, with H(2)O(2) activated by sodium bicarbonate at room temperature. The obtained results indicate that such a method is apparently efficient in versatile pollutant degradation. Compared with using H(2)O(2) alone under similar pH conditions, the degradation rates of the pollutants were greatly enhanced through adding NaHCO(3). Through LC-MS, FT-IR and the TOC analysis, the degradation of methylene blue was revealed to proceed by the transformation of dimethylamino group in methylene blue to methylamino, aldehyde and nitro group, and the opening of phenyl ring into small molecular compounds and CO(2). The studies using the (1)O(2) scavenger sodium azide and the O(2)(-) indicator nitro blue tetrazolium suggest that the active O(2)(-) intermediate, generated from HCO(4)(-) decomposition, rather than (1)O(2) was involved in the pollutant degradation.

The Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent OrganicPollutants (CTEPP) study was designed by the U.S. EPA to collect data on young children's exposures to pesticides and other pollutants in their everyday environments in support of the Food Quality...

The Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent OrganicPollutants (CTEPP) study was designed by the U.S. EPA to collect data on young children's exposures to pesticides and other pollutants in their everyday environments in support of the Food Quality...

Meteorological conditions within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) are closely governed by large-scale synoptic patterns and play important roles in air quality by directly and indirectly affecting the emission, transport, formation, and deposition of air pollutants. Partly due to the lack of long-term fine-resolution observations of the PBL, the relationships between synoptic patterns, PBL structure, and aerosol pollution in Beijing have not been well understood. This study applied the obliquely rotated principal component analysis in T-mode to classify the summertime synoptic conditions over Beijing using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis from 2011 to 2014, and investigated their relationships with PBL structure and aerosol pollution by combining numerical simulations, measurements of surface meteorological variables, fine-resolution soundings, the concentration of particles with diameters less than or equal to 2.5 µm, total cloud cover (CLD), and reanalysis data. Among the seven identified synoptic patterns, three types accounted for 67 % of the total number of cases studied and were associated with heavy aerosol pollution events. These particular synoptic patterns were characterized by high-pressure systems located to the east or southeast of Beijing at the 925 hPa level, which blocked the air flow seaward, and southerly PBL winds that brought in polluted air from the southern industrial zone. The horizontal transport of pollutants induced by the synoptic forcings may be the most important factor affecting the air quality of Beijing in summer. In the vertical dimension, these three synoptic patterns featured a relatively low boundary layer height (BLH) in the afternoon, accompanied by high CLD and southerly cold advection from the seas within the PBL. The high CLD reduced the solar radiation reaching the surface, and suppressed the thermal turbulence, leading to lower BLH. Besides, the numerical sensitive experiments show that cold

Samples from 75 sample locations in a landfill leachate pollution plume reveal a significant disappearance of specific organic compounds (SOC's) within the first 100 m of the plume. Only the herbicide Mecoprop® (MCPP) migrates further. Since sorption and dilution cannot account for the decreasing concentrations, degradation is considered to be the governing process. Non-volatile organic carbon shows a corresponding fate probably acting as a substrate for the microbial processes. The first 20 m of the plume are methanogenic/sulfidogenic, judged on the chemistry of the groundwater, followed by a significant ferrogenic zone exhibiting a substantial capacity to degrade the SOC's. The presence of intermediary products (here an oxidized camphor compound) supports the concept of degradation within the ferrogenic zone. This investigation draws the attention to the significant natural attenuation of organic contaminants and to the so far neglected ferrogenic zone in controlling the fate of organic contaminants in leachate plumes.

A novel construction strategy of monolithic capillary column for selectively enriching perfluorinated persistent organicpollutants was proposed. The organic-inorganic hybrid fluorous monolithic capillary column was synthesized by a "one-pot" approach via the polycondensation of γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy-silane, then in situ copolymerization of 1H,1H,7H-dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate and vinyl group on the precondensed siloxanes. The obtained monolithic columns were systematically characterized. The results demonstrated that the optimal column possessed good mechanical stability and high permeability. The adsorption capacities of the optimized monolithic column for perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate were 0.257 and 0.513 μg/mg, respectively. Adsorption capacities of the monoliths were proved to increasing with increasing the amounts of fluorinated monomers in the fluorous monoliths. Sodium 1-octanesulfonate, as a comparison compound, was hardly adsorbed on the fluorous monolith. In addition, the trace amounts of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in water samples can be successfully concentrated about 160 times to their original concentrations by this monolithic column. These results demonstrated that the capacity and selectivity of the affinity fluorous column is high and can be applied to the selective enrichment for the perfluorinated persistent organicpollutants from environmental samples.

Sexual organs and their development are susceptible to atmospheric transported environmental xenoendocrine pollutants and climate change (food availability). We therefore investigated sexual organs from 55 male and 44 female East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus) to obtain information about growth/size and sexual maturity. Then, the genitalia size was compared with those previously reported from Canadian and Svalbard polar bears. Growth models showed that East Greenland male polar bears reached sexual maturity around 7 years of age and females around 4 years of age. When comparing East Greenland and Svalbard polar bears, the size of baculum and uterus were significantly lower in the East Greenland polar bears (ANOVA: all p < 0.05). Based on previously published baculum mean values from Canadian polar bears, a similar baculum pattern was found for East Greenland vs. Canadian polar bears. It is speculated whether this could be a result of the general high variation in polar bear body size, temporal distribution patterns of anthropogenic long-range transported persistent organicpollutants or climate change (decreasing food availability). The present investigation represents conservation and background data for future spatial and temporal assessments of hunting, pollution and climate change scenarios.

Like most of the vertical transistors, the Patterned Source Vertical Organic Field Effect Transistor (PS-VOFET) does not exhibit saturation in the output characteristics. The importance of achieving a good saturation is demonstrated in a vertical organic light emitting transistor; however, this is critical for any application requiring the transistor to act as a current source. Thereafter, a 2D simulation tool was used to explain the physical mechanisms that prevent saturation as well as to suggest ways to overcome them. We found that by isolating the source facet from the drain-source electric field, the PS-VOFET architecture exhibits saturation. The process used for fabricating such saturation-enhancing structure is then described. The new device demonstrated close to an ideal saturation with only 1% change in the drain-source current over a 10 V change in the drain-source voltage.

Export coefficient model was improved to calculate and compare non-point source pollution loads in an agricultural watershed before and after implanting new cropping pattern. The modification was done by introducing the reduction coefficient in consumption amount and loss load as well as the proportion of bioactive ingredients of fertilizer and pesticide to the export coefficient model developed by Johnes in 1996. The modified export coefficient model was then applied to estimate non-point source pollution load in Gaoxi community, Yunnan Province, China where a water-saving and emission reduction technology was implemented by changing cropping pattern. Study results showed that the improved export coefficient model had a favorable flexibility in calculating the non-point source pollution loads and well applicable to the watersheds where various input data is in short. Moreover, the findings will provide scientific basis to understand the variability of non-point source pollutants in agricultural watersheds and their load estimation in order to optimize the efficiency of pollutants reduction plan implemented through agricultural adjustment.

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) used in agricultural, industrial, and domestic applications are widely distributed and bioaccumulate in food webs, causing adverse effects to the biosphere. A review of published data for 1977-2015 for a wide range of vegetation around the globe indicates an extensive load of pollutants in vegetation. On a global perspective, the accumulation of POPs and PAHs in vegetation depends on the industrialization history across continents and distance to emission sources, beyond organism type and climatic variables. International regulations initially reduced the concentrations of POPs in vegetation in rural areas, but concentrations of HCB, HCHs, and DDTs at remote sites did not decrease or even increased over time, pointing to a remobilization of POPs from source areas to remote sites. The concentrations of compounds currently in use, PBDEs and PAHs, are still increasing in vegetation. Differential congener specific accumulation is mostly determined by continent—in accordance to the different regulations of HCHs, PCBs and PBDEs in different countries—and by plant type (PAHs). These results support a concerning general accumulation of toxic pollutants in most ecosystems of the globe that for some compounds is still far from being mitigated in the near future.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is commonly used as adsorbent in water treatment plants given its high capacity for retaining organicpollutants in aqueous phase. The current knowledge on GAC behaviour is essentially empirical, and no quantitative description of the chemical relationships between GAC surface groups and pollutants has been proposed. In this paper, we describe a quantitative model for the adsorption of atrazine onto GAC surface. The model is based on results of potentiometric titrations and three types of adsorption experiments which have been carried out in order to determine the nature and distribution of the functional groups on the GAC surface, and evaluate the adsorption characteristics of GAC towards atrazine. Potentiometric titrations have indicated the existence of at least two different families of chemical groups on the GAC surface, including phenolic- and benzoic-type surface groups. Adsorption experiments with atrazine have been satisfactorily modelled with the geochemical code PhreeqC, assuming that atrazine is sorbed onto the GAC surface in equilibrium (log Ks = 5.1 ± 0.5). Independent thermodynamic calculations suggest a possible adsorption of atrazine on a benzoic derivative. The present work opens a new approach for improving the adsorption capabilities of GAC towards organicpollutants by modifying its chemical properties.

The concentrations of various organicpollutants (benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) were determined in samples of water, sediment and biota (flounder, killifish, shrimp, crabs, and squid) from San Luis Pass, Texas. Sediment was also analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and various pesticides. Only PCP was detectable in water. In sediment, the relative concentrations were PAEs >> BaP > (PCBs approx. HCB) > PCP. In biota, BaP was not detectable in any animal; HCB was highest in crabs and PCP was highest in all others (flounder, killifish, shrimp and squid). The relative concentrations of HCB and PCP were different in the different organisms. The differences between the relative concentrations in the biota and in sediment are discussed. The results of this study are compared to values measured at other sites. This study is part of a larger effort to identify and quantitate pollutants in various Texas estuaries and to serve as a basis for monitoring marine pollution.

Graphitic carbon nitride supported on activated carbon (g-C3N4/AC) was prepared through an in situ thermal approach and used as a metal free catalyst for pollutants degradation in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) without light irradiation. It was found that g-C3N4 was highly dispersed on the surface of AC with the increase of surface area and the exposition of more edges and defects. The much easier oxidation of C species in g-C3N4 to CO was also observed from XPS spectra. Acid Orange 7 (AO7) and other organicpollutants could be completely degraded by the g-C3N4/AC catalyst within 20min with PMS, while g-C3N4+PMS and AC+PMS showed no significant activity for the reaction. The performance of the catalyst was significantly influenced by the amount of g-C3N4 loaded on AC; but was nearly not affected by the initial solution pH and reaction temperature. In addition, the catalysts presented good stability. A nonradical mechanism accompanied by radical generation (HO and SO4(-)) in AO7 oxidation was proposed in the system. The CO groups play a key role in the process; while the exposure of more N-(C)3 group can further increase its electron density and basicity. This study can contribute to the development of green materials for sustainable remediation of aqueous organicpollutants.

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) used in agricultural, industrial, and domestic applications are widely distributed and bioaccumulate in food webs, causing adverse effects to the biosphere. A review of published data for 1977–2015 for a wide range of vegetation around the globe indicates an extensive load of pollutants in vegetation. On a global perspective, the accumulation of POPs and PAHs in vegetation depends on the industrialization history across continents and distance to emission sources, beyond organism type and climatic variables. International regulations initially reduced the concentrations of POPs in vegetation in rural areas, but concentrations of HCB, HCHs, and DDTs at remote sites did not decrease or even increased over time, pointing to a remobilization of POPs from source areas to remote sites. The concentrations of compounds currently in use, PBDEs and PAHs, are still increasing in vegetation. Differential congener specific accumulation is mostly determined by continent—in accordance to the different regulations of HCHs, PCBs and PBDEs in different countries—and by plant type (PAHs). These results support a concerning general accumulation of toxic pollutants in most ecosystems of the globe that for some compounds is still far from being mitigated in the near future. PMID:27146722

Water pollution due to organic contaminants is a serious issue because of acute toxicities and carcinogenic nature of the pollutants. Among various water treatment methods, adsorption is supposed as the best one due to its inexpensiveness, universal nature and ease of operation. Many waste materials used include fruit wastes, coconut shell, scrap tyres, bark and other tannin-rich materials, sawdust and other wood type materials, rice husk, petroleum wastes, fertilizer wastes, fly ash, sugar industry wastes blast furnace slag, chitosan and seafood processing wastes, seaweed and algae, peat moss, clays, red mud, zeolites, sediment and soil, ore minerals etc. These adsorbents have been found to remove various organicpollutants ranging from 80 to 99.9%. The present article describes the conversion of waste products into effective adsorbents and their application for water treatment. The possible mechanism of adsorption on these adsorbents has also been included in this article. Besides, attempts have been made to discuss the future perspectives of low cost adsorbents in water treatment.

The diamondback terrapin's (Malaclemys terrapin) wide geographic distribution, long life span, occurrence in a variety of habitats within the saltmarsh ecosystem, predatory foraging behavior, and high site fidelity make it a useful indicator species for contaminant monitoring in estuarine ecosystems. In this study fat biopsies and plasma samples were collected from males and females from two sites within Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, as well as tissues from a gravid female and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), which are terrapin prey. Samples were analyzed for persistent organicpollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chlorinated pesticides, and methyl-triclosan. Terrapins from the northern site, Spizzle Creek, closest to influences from industrial areas, had higher POP concentrations for both tissues than terrapins from the less impacted Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Sex differences were observed with males having higher contaminant concentrations in fat and females in plasma. PCB patterns in terrapin fat and plasma were comparable to other wildlife. An atypical PBDE pattern was observed, dominated by PBDEs 153 and 100 instead of PBDEs 47 and 99, which has been documented in only a few other turtle species. The typical PBDE patterns measured in mussels, terrapin prey, suggests that the terrapin may efficiently biotransform or eliminate PBDE 47 and possibly PBDE 99. Plasma contaminant concentrations significantly and positively correlated with those in fat. This study addresses several aspects of using the terrapin as an indicator species for POP monitoring: site and sex differences, tissue sampling choices, maternal transfer, and biomagnification.

The Of/Oh-horizons of 447 forest stands in Germany were evaluated for concentrations and spatial distribution of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). While concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and PCBs show similar spatial distribution patterns for all measured compounds within each compound class, significantly different distributions were identified for concentrations of low-molecular-weight PAHs [2- and 3-ring PAHs plus fluoranthene (FLA) and pyrene (PYR)] in contrast to high-molecular-weight PAHs (4-6-ring PAHs without FLA and PYR). Maxima of persistent organicpollutant (POP) concentrations could be mostly explained by specific locatable sources. Because of the slow degradation rates of these target substances, this is especially relevant for historic contamination sources, such as extensive 1980s DDT usage in the former German Democratic Republic and industrial facilities that produced hexachlorobenzene (HCB) or PCBs. A contribution of ubiquitous background pollution derived from long-range atmospheric transport is likely for some compounds in the studied area, e.g., DDT in the western part of Germany and dieldrin. However, most target compounds appear to be mainly sourced from local or regional emissions. This is supported by the absence of clear dependencies between POP concentrations and most evaluated environmental and local parameters. We suggest that these results generally reflect the distribution of POPs in densely populated and industrialized countries located in temperate regions.

As a signatory of the Stockholm Convention and the largest developing country, China plays a very important role in implementation of the convention to reduce and finally eliminate persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in the world. In the past ten years after the enforcement in 2004, Chinese Government and scientists have made great progress on the study of POPs. The present work aims to provide an overview on recent studies on POPs in China, with particular focus on usage/emission inventory, residue inventory, and pollution status of POPs on national scale. Several legend (old) and new target POPs were comprehensively summarized with progress on inventory. Furthermore, several national scale monitoring programs have been selected for the occurrence, spatial and temporal trends of POPs in China, which are compared with Asian data and Global data. Based on the observed results, some important scientific issues, such as the primary and secondary distribution patterns, the primary and secondary fractionations, and air-soil exchange of POPs, are also discussed. It is proposed that more studies should be carried out for the new targeted POPs in future for both the national and global interests.

The introduction of oxygen in electrochemical oxidation at relatively high temperature and pressure as a promoter resulting in synergetic effects, greatly improves the mineralization of high-concentrated organicpollutants.

The research study, "Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent OrganicPollutants," (CTEPP) is a pilot-scale project involving about 260 children in their everyday surroundings. The objectives of CTEPP are twofold: (1) To measure the agg...

The research study, "Children's Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent OrganicPollutants," (CTEPP) is a pilot-scale project involving about 260 children in their everyday surroundings. The objectives of CTEPP are twofold: (1) To measure the agg...

Equilibrium partitioning between different environmental media is one of the main driving forces that govern the environmental fate of organic chemicals. In the global environment, equilibrium partitioning is in competition with long-range transport, advective phase transfer processes such as wet deposition, and degradation. Here we investigate under what conditions equilibrium partitioning is strong enough to control the global distribution of organic chemicals. We use a global multimedia mass-balance model to calculate the Globally Balanced State (GBS) of organic chemicals. The GBS is the state where equilibrium partitioning is in balance with long-range transport; it represents the maximum influence of thermodynamic driving forces on the global distribution of a chemical. Next, we compare the GBS with the Temporal Remote State, which represents the long-term distribution of a chemical in the global environment when the chemical's distribution is influenced by all transport and degradation processes in combination. This comparison allows us to identify the chemical properties required for a substance to reach the GBS as a stable global distribution. We find that thermodynamically controlled distributions are rare and do not occur for most Persistent OrganicPollutants. They are only found for highly volatile and persistent substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons. Furthermore, we find that the thermodynamic cold-trap effect (i.e., accumulation of pollutants at the poles because of reduced vapor pressure at low temperatures) is often strongly attenuated by atmospheric and oceanic long-range transport.

A dilution source sampling system is used to quantify the air pollutant emissions from major urban air pollution sources. The emissions from catalyst-equipped gasoline powered-motor vehicles, noncatalyst gasoline-powered motor vehicls, diesel trucks, meat charbroiling, the cooking of vegetables with seed oils, fireplace combustion of softwood and hardwood, cigarette combustion, and paint spray coating operations are characterized. Semi-volatile and particle-phase organic compounds in the diluted source emissions are collected simultaneously by both a traditional filter/PUF (polyurethane foam) sampling train and by an advanced organic compound-based denuder/filter/PUF sampling train to provide information on the gas/particle phase distribution of the semi-volatile organic compounds. Emission rates of hundreds of organic compounds, spanning carbon number from C1 to C29 are determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Fine partile mass emission rates and fine particle elemental chemical composition are measured as well.

We describe spatial patterns in environmental injustice and inequality for residential outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in the contiguous United States. Our approach employs Census demographic data and a recently published high-resolution dataset of outdoor NO2 concentrations. Nationally, population-weighted mean NO2 concentrations are 4.6 ppb (38%, p<0.01) higher for nonwhites than for whites. The environmental health implications of that concentration disparity are compelling. For example, we estimate that reducing nonwhites' NO2 concentrations to levels experienced by whites would reduce Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) mortality by ∼7,000 deaths per year, which is equivalent to 16 million people increasing their physical activity level from inactive (0 hours/week of physical activity) to sufficiently active (>2.5 hours/week of physical activity). Inequality for NO2 concentration is greater than inequality for income (Atkinson Index: 0.11 versus 0.08). Low-income nonwhite young children and elderly people are disproportionately exposed to residential outdoor NO2. Our findings establish a national context for previous work that has documented air pollution environmental injustice and inequality within individual US metropolitan areas and regions. Results given here can aid policy-makers in identifying locations with high environmental injustice and inequality. For example, states with both high injustice and high inequality (top quintile) for outdoor residential NO2 include New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

We describe spatial patterns in environmental injustice and inequality for residential outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in the contiguous United States. Our approach employs Census demographic data and a recently published high-resolution dataset of outdoor NO2 concentrations. Nationally, population-weighted mean NO2 concentrations are 4.6 ppb (38%, p<0.01) higher for nonwhites than for whites. The environmental health implications of that concentration disparity are compelling. For example, we estimate that reducing nonwhites’ NO2 concentrations to levels experienced by whites would reduce Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) mortality by ∼7,000 deaths per year, which is equivalent to 16 million people increasing their physical activity level from inactive (0 hours/week of physical activity) to sufficiently active (>2.5 hours/week of physical activity). Inequality for NO2 concentration is greater than inequality for income (Atkinson Index: 0.11 versus 0.08). Low-income nonwhite young children and elderly people are disproportionately exposed to residential outdoor NO2. Our findings establish a national context for previous work that has documented air pollution environmental injustice and inequality within individual US metropolitan areas and regions. Results given here can aid policy-makers in identifying locations with high environmental injustice and inequality. For example, states with both high injustice and high inequality (top quintile) for outdoor residential NO2 include New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin. PMID:24736569

Plastic litter accounts for 50-80% of waste items stranded on beaches, floating on the ocean surface and lodged in the seabed. Organicpollutants can be absorbed onto plastic particles from sea water, attached to their surfaces or included in the plastic matrix as additives. Such chemicals may be transported to remote regions by buoyant plastics and ocean currents. We have estimated mass fluxes of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to the Arctic via the main ocean currents and compared them to those in the dissolved state and in air. Substance fluxes with atmospheric or sea water currents account for several tons per year, whereas those mediated by plastics are four to six orders of magnitude smaller. However, the significance of various pollutant transport routes does not depend only on absolute mass fluxes but also on bioaccumulation in marine food chains.

Summary Wastewater cleaning strategies based on the adsorption of materials are being increasingly considered, but the wide variety of organicpollutants at low concentrations still makes their removal a challenge. The hybrid material proposed here consists of a zwitterionic polyethylenimine polymer coating a magnetic core. Polyethylenimine is phosphonated at different percentages by a one-step process and used to coat maghemite nanoparticles. It selectively extracts high amounts of cationic and anionic contaminants over a wide range of pH values, depending on the adjustable number of phosphonate groups introduced on the polymer. After recovering the nanoparticles with a magnet, pollutants are quantitatively released by repeated washing with low amounts of pH-adjusted water. The material can be reused many times without noticeable loss of efficiency and is designed to resist high temperatures, oxidation and harsh conditions. PMID:27826519

Fish samples of Baltic herring, sprat, flounder, perch, salmon, and river lamprey were collected from the Gulf of Finland in 2013 and 2014 with the aim to get an overview of the occurrence of pollutants in fish caught in Estonian waters. The content of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (ndl PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organic tin (OT) and perfluorocompounds (PFAS) are examined and discussed in the study. The results revealed that potentially higher content of organo-tin compounds, perfluorocompounds and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Baltic herring, salmon and river lamprey may cause concern regarding human exposure. It is important to link pollutant content to lipid content of fish taking into account their seasonal variation in different age classes.

Biodegradation of toxic organic micro-pollutants in municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate by membrane bioreactor (MBR) was investigated. The MBR systems were seeded with different sludge sources, one was from a pilot-scale MBR system treating MSW leachate and the other was from an activated sludge sewage treatment plant. The biodegradation of BPA, 2,6-DTBP, BHT, DEP, DBP and DEHP, DCP and BBzP, by sludge from both reactors were found improved with time. However, enhanced biodegradation of micro-pollutants was observed in MBR operated under long sludge age condition. Bacterial population analyses determined by PCR-DGGE revealed the development of phenol and phthalate degrading bacteria consortium in MBR sludge during its operation.

A novel biomimetic absorbent containing the lipid triolein was developed for removing persistent organicpollutants (POPs) from water. The structural characteristics of the absorbent were obtained by SEM and a photoluminescence method. Under optimum preparation conditions, triolein was perfectly embedded in the cellulose acetate (CA) spheres, the absorbent was stable and no triolein leaked into the water. Dieldrin, endrin, aldrin and heptachlor epoxide were effectively removed by the CA--triolein absorbent in laboratory batch experiments. This suggests that CA-triolein absorbent may serve as a good absorbent for those selected POPs. Triolein in the absorbent significantly increased the absorption capacity, and lower residual concentrations of POPs were achieved when compared to the use of cellulose acetate absorbent. The absorption rate for lipophilic pollutants was very fast and exhibited some relationship with the octanol--water partition coefficient of the analyte. The absorption mechanism is discussed in detail.

The brain is continuously active, even without external input or task demands. This so-called resting-state activity exhibits a highly specific spatio-temporal organization. However, how exactly these activity patterns map onto the anatomical and functional architecture of the brain is still unclear. We addressed this question in the human visual cortex. We determined the representation of the visual field in visual cortical areas of 44 subjects using fMRI and examined resting-state correlations between these areas along the visual hierarchy, their dorsal and ventral segments, and between subregions representing foveal versus peripheral parts of the visual field. We found that retinotopically corresponding regions, particularly those representing peripheral visual fields, exhibit strong correlations. V1 displayed strong internal correlations between its dorsal and ventral segments and the highest correlation with LGN compared with other visual areas. In contrast, V2 and V3 showed weaker correlations with LGN and stronger between-area correlations, as well as with V4 and hMT+. Interhemispheric correlations between homologous areas were especially strong. These correlation patterns were robust over time and only marginally altered under task conditions. These results indicate that resting-state fMRI activity closely reflects the anatomical organization of the visual cortex both with respect to retinotopy and hierarchy.

The paper considers selected persistent organicpollutants (POPs) atmospheric emission evaluation on the territory of Belarus for main source categories. The procedure applied was based on the UNECE EMEP methodology. Data of industrial statistics, production processes analysis and relevant emission factors were used. For a number of sources, only quality and semi-quality emission evaluation was conducted, due to the lack of information for the selection of emission factors or statistical data relevant. In the paper, emissions of the following groups of pollutants are discussed: dioxins/furans (PCDD/PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) as requested for EMEP database (Protocol on Persistent OrganicPollutants to the convention of 1979 on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution in Europe and Annexes I, II, or III to the Protocol, 1998). PAH emission and selected chlorinated pesticides input also requested by EMEP will be described in other issues. Estimations have showed that Belarus as a whole is not a large emission source of such POPs as dioxins. Its share in European emissions is significantly below 1%. This can be explained by the fact that in Belarus there are no such large dioxin emission sources like sintering, waste incineration, non-ferrous industry. But some important sources of dioxins/furans for instance, open burning are not included in quantitative estimation now. The main contribution to dioxin emissions is by firewood and peat combustion. Only electric steel smelting plant can be considered as a large emission point source. Leakage from transformers and damaged capacitors was estimated as the main source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) discharged into the environment: dielectric fluids with PCB are still in use in electrical equipment.

This research aimed to assess serum concentrations of a group of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) in a sample of adults recruited in four different regions from Spain and to assess socio-demographic, dietary, and lifestyle predictors of the exposure. The study population comprised 312 healthy adults selected from among controls recruited in the MCC-Spain multicase-control study. Study variables were collected using standardized questionnaires, and pollutants were analyzed by means of gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify predictors of log-transformed pollutant concentrations, using combined backward and forward stepwise multiple linear regression models. Detection rates ranged from 89.1% (hexachlorobenzene, HCB) to 93.6% (Polychlorinated biphenyl-153 [PCB-153]); p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) showed the highest median concentrations (1.04ng/ml), while HCB showed the lowest (0.24ng/ml). In the multivariable models, age was positively associated with HCB, p,p'-DDE, and PCB-180. BMI was associated positively with p,p'-DDE but negatively with PCB-138. Total accumulated time residing in an urban area was positively associated with PCB-153 concentrations. The women showed higher HCB and lower p,p'-DDE concentrations versus the men. Notably, POP exposure in our study population was inversely associated with the breastfeeding received by participants and with the number of pregnancies of their mothers but was not related to the participants' history of breastfeeding their children or parity. Smoking was negatively associated with HCB and PCB-153 concentrations. Consumption of fatty foods, including blue fish, was in general positively associated with POP levels. Although POP environmental levels are declining worldwide, there is a need for the continuous monitoring of human exposure in the general population. The results of the present study confirm previous findings and point to novel

We model the stable self-organizedpatterns obtained in the nonequilibrium steady states of mixtures of molecular motors and microtubules. In experiments [Nédélec , Nature (London) 389, 305 (1997); Surrey , Science 292, 1167 (2001)] performed in a quasi-two-dimensional geometry, microtubules are oriented by complexes of motor proteins. This interaction yields a variety of patterns, including arrangements of asters, vortices, and disordered configurations. We model this system via a two-dimensional vector field describing the local coarse-grained microtubule orientation and two scalar density fields associated to molecular motors. These scalar fields describe motors which either attach to and move along microtubules or diffuse freely within the solvent. Transitions between single aster, spiral, and vortex states are obtained as a consequence of confinement, as parameters in our model are varied. For systems in which the effects of confinement can be neglected, we present a map of nonequilibrium steady states, which includes arrangements of asters and vortices separately as well as aster-vortex mixtures and fully disordered states. We calculate the steady state distribution of bound and free motors in aster and vortex configurations of microtubules and compare these to our simulation results, providing qualitative arguments for the stability of different patterns in various regimes of parameter space. We study the role of crowding or “saturation” effects on the density profiles of motors in asters, discussing the role of such effects in stabilizing single asters. We also comment on the implications of our results for experiments.

The actin cytoskeleton is an active gel which constantly remodels during cellular processes such as motility and division. Myosin II molecular motors are involved in this active remodeling process and therefore control the dynamic self-organization of cytoskeletal structures. Due to the complexity of in vivo systems, it is hard to investigate the role of myosin II in the reorganization process which determines the resulting cytoskeletal structures. Here we use an in vitro model system to show that myosin II actively reorganizes actin into a variety of mesoscopic patterns, but only in the presence of bundling proteins. We find that the nature of the reorganization process is complex, exhibiting patterns and dynamical phenomena not predicted by current theoretical models and not observed in corresponding passive systems (excluding motors). This system generates active networks, asters and even rings depending on motor and bundling protein concentrations. Furthermore, the motors generate the formation of the patterns, but above a critical concentration they can also disassemble them and even totally prevent the polymerization and bundling of actin filaments. These results may suggest that tuning the assembly and disassembly of cytoskeletal structures can be obtained by tuning the local myosin II concentration/activity.

Purpose. To determine whether organic electroluminescence (OLED) screens can be used as visual stimulators to elicit pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials (p-VEPs). Method. Checkerboard patterns were generated on a conventional cathode-ray tube (S710, Compaq Computer Co., USA) screen and on an OLED (17 inches, 320 × 230 mm, PVM-1741, Sony, Tokyo, Japan) screen. The time course of the luminance changes of each monitor was measured with a photodiode. The p-VEPs elicited by these two screens were recorded from 15 eyes of 9 healthy volunteers (22.0 ± 0.8 years). Results. The OLED screen had a constant time delay from the onset of the trigger signal to the start of the luminescence change. The delay during the reversal phase from black to white for the pattern was 1.0 msec on the cathode-ray tube (CRT) screen and 0.5 msec on the OLED screen. No significant differences in the amplitudes of P100 and the implicit times of N75 and P100 were observed in the p-VEPs elicited by the CRT and the OLED screens. Conclusion. The OLED screen can be used as a visual stimulator to elicit p-VEPs; however the time delay and the specific properties in the luminance change must be taken into account. PMID:25197652

To determine whether organic electroluminescence (OLED) screens can be used as visual stimulators to elicit pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials (p-VEPs). Checkerboard patterns were generated on a conventional cathode-ray tube (S710, Compaq Computer Co., USA) screen and on an OLED (17 inches, 320 × 230 mm, PVM-1741, Sony, Tokyo, Japan) screen. The time course of the luminance changes of each monitor was measured with a photodiode. The p-VEPs elicited by these two screens were recorded from 15 eyes of 9 healthy volunteers (22.0 ± 0.8 years). The OLED screen had a constant time delay from the onset of the trigger signal to the start of the luminescence change. The delay during the reversal phase from black to white for the pattern was 1.0 msec on the cathode-ray tube (CRT) screen and 0.5 msec on the OLED screen. No significant differences in the amplitudes of P100 and the implicit times of N75 and P100 were observed in the p-VEPs elicited by the CRT and the OLED screens. The OLED screen can be used as a visual stimulator to elicit p-VEPs; however the time delay and the specific properties in the luminance change must be taken into account.

The controlled growth and alignment of one-dimensional organic nanostructures at well-defined locations considerably hinders the integration of nanostructures for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here, we demonstrate a simple process to achieve the growth, alignment, and hierarchical patterning of organic nanowires on substrates with controlled patterns of surface wettability. The first-level pattern is confined by the substrate patterns of wettability. Organic nanostructures are preferentially grown on solvent wettable regions. The second-level pattern is the patterning of aligned organic nanowires deposited by controlling the shape and movement of the solution contact lines during evaporation on the wettable regions. This process is controlled by the cover-hat-controlled method or vertical evaportation method. Therefore, various new patterns of organic nanostructures can be obtained by combing these two levels of patterns. This simple method proves to be a general approach that can be applied to other organic nanostructure systems. Using the as-prepared patterned nanowire arrays, an optoelectronic device (photodetector) is easily fabricated. Hence, the proposed simple, large-scale, low-cost method of preparing patterns of highly ordered organic nanostructures has high potential applications in various electronic and optoelectronic devices.

The concentrations and composition of persistent organicpollutants (POPs) were determined in alluvial soils subjected to heavy flooding in a rural region of Poland. Soil samples (n = 30) were collected from the upper soil layer from a 70-km(2) area. Chemical determinations included basic physicochemical properties and the contents of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, 16 compounds). The median concentrations of Σ7PCB (PCB28 + PCB52 + PCB101 + PCB118 + PCB138 + PCB153 + PCB180), Σ3HCH (α-HCH + β-HCH + γ-HCH) and Σ3pp'(DDT + DDE + DDD) were 1.60 ± 1.03, 0.22 ± 0.13 and 25.18 ± 82.70 μg kg(-1), respectively. The median concentrations of the most abundant PAHs, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]pyrene were 50 ± 37, 38 ± 27, 29 ± 30, 45 ± 36 and 24 ± 22 μg kg(-1), respectively. Compared with elsewhere in the world, the overall level of contamination with POPs was low and similar to the levels in agricultural soils from neighbouring countries, except for benzo[a]pyrene and DDT. There was no evidence that flooding affected the levels of POPs in the studied soils. The patterns observed for PAHs and PCBs indicate that atmospheric deposition is the most important long-term source of these contaminants. DDTs were the dominant organochlorine pesticides (up to 99%), and the contribution of the parent pp' isomer was up to 50 % of the ΣDDT, which indicates the advantage of aged contamination. A high pp'DDE/pp'DDD ratio suggests the prevalence of aerobic transformations of parent DDT. Dominance of the γ isomer in the HCHs implies historical use of lindane in the area. The effect of soil properties on the POP concentrations was rather weak, although statistically significant links with the content of the <0.02-mm fraction, Ctotal or Ntotal were observed for some individual compounds in the PCB group.

In recent years, worldwide awareness of an aquatic environment polluted by organic trace pollutants, e.g. pharmaceutical residues and industrial chemicals, has risen tremendously. The present paper outlines similarities and differences in how to face the organic trace pollutants occurring in the natural and urban water cycles in Germany and China. Our joint review clearly shows that this emerging environmental problem is in both countries being widely discussed on a scientific level and it is evidently perceived in a comparable way. However, while the state of knowledge, which is still unsatisfactory, induces further investigations in China, the research activities in Germany have already led to first full-scale applications to remove trace pollutants. While Germany seems to be one step ahead, China possibly is in a better position for a later trace pollutants removal due to the massively increasing use of membrane bioreactors as a key technology for the necessary expansion of wastewater treatment capacities.

A critical review is presented in this chapter on the possible applications of boron-doped diamond (BDD) as anode material to perform oxidation of organic compounds in aqueous solution. The oxidation of model substances is studied as well as that of the main classes of pollutants, such as phenols, dyes, pesticides and drugs, surfactants, which make some problems of degradation with the traditional wastewater treatments. The presented results indicate that organic compounds refractory to other oxidation techniques are successfully oxidized at BDD, even if the reaction mechanism is differently dependent on the organic compound and the electrolyte composition. Economic considerations reveal that electrochemical oxidations at BDD are less expensive than other advanced oxidation processes, indicating that in the near future this technology can become a competitive treatment for the removal of refractory compounds from wastewater.

Specific organicpollutants (SOPs) such as phenolic compounds, PAHs, organic pesticides, and organic herbicides cause health and environmental problems due to their excessive toxic properties and poor biodegradability. Low-cost biosorbents are considered as a promising alternative for conventional adsorbents to remove SOPs from water. These materials have several advantages such as high sorption capacities, good modifiability and recoverability, insensitivity to toxic substances, simple operation in the treatment processes. However, previous reports on various types of biosorbents for removing SOPs are still moderately fragmented. Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive review on using typical low-cost biosorbents obtained from lignocellulose and chitin/chitosan for SOPs adsorption. Especially, their characteristics, biosorption mechanism together with utilization for eliminating SOPs are presented and discussed. The paper also gives a critical view regarding future applications of low-cost biosorbents in SOPs-contaminated water treatment.

Adsorption of organicpollutants by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the environment or removal of pollutants during water purification require deep understanding of the impacts of the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM). DOM is an integral part of environmental systems and plays a key role affecting the behavior of organicpollutants. In this study, the effects of solution chemistry (pH and ionic strength) and the presence of DOM on the removal of atrazine and lamotrigine by single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) was investigated. The solubility of atrazine slightly decreased (∼5%) in the presence of DOM, whereas that of lamotrigine was significantly enhanced (by up to ∼70%). Simultaneous introduction of DOM and pollutant resulted in suppression of removal of both atrazine and lamotrigine, which was attributed to DOM-pollutant competition or blockage of adsorption sites by DOM. However the decrease in removal of lamotrigine was also a result of its complexation with DOM. Pre-introduction of DOM significantly reduced pollutant adsorption by the SWCNTs, whereas introduction of DOM after the pollutant resulted in the release of adsorbed atrazine and lamotrigine from the SWCNTs. These data imply that DOM exhibits higher affinity for the adsorption sites than the triazine-based pollutants. In the absence of DOM atrazine was a more effective competitor than lamotrigine for adsorption sites in SWCNTs. However, competition between pollutants in the presence of DOM revealed lamotrigine as the better competitor. Our findings help unravel the complex DOM-organicpollutant-CNT system and will aid in CNT-implementation in water-purification technologies.

Organics are key players in the biosphere-atmosphere-climate interactions. They have also a significant anthropogenic component due to primary emissions or interactions with pollution. The organic pool in the atmosphere is a complex mixture of compounds of variable reactivity and properties, variable content in C, H, O, N and other elements depending on their origin and their history in the atmosphere. Multiphase atmospheric chemistry is known to produce organic acids with high oxygen content, like oxalic acid. This water soluble organic bi-acid is used as indicator for cloud processing and can form complexes with atmospheric Iron, affecting Iron solubility. Organics are also carriers of other nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. They also interact with solar radiation and with atmospheric water impacting on climate. In line with this vision for the role of organics in the atmosphere, we present results from a global 3-dimensional chemistry-transport model on the role of gaseous and particulate organics in atmospheric chemistry, accounting for multiphase chemistry and aerosol ageing in the atmosphere as well as nutrients emissions, atmospheric transport and deposition. Historical simulations and projections highlight the human impact on air quality and atmospheric deposition to the oceans. The results are put in the context of climate change. Uncertainties and implications of our findings for biogeochemical and climate modeling are discussed.

This study investigates if ozonation of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent can reduce the negative impacts of effluent organic matter (EfOM) on the adsorption of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) onto powdered activated carbon (PAC). Pre-treatment of the water included membrane filtration for the removal of suspended/colloidal organics, ozonation with various specific ozone consumptions, and subsequent OMP spiking to comparable initial concentrations in all of the ozonated waters. This approach allowed for comparative PAC adsorption tests. Adsorption analyses show that the adsorbability of EfOM decreases with increasing specific ozone consumptions. This is also reflected by liquid chromatography with online carbon and UV254 detection (LC-OCD) which shows the ozone-induced disintegration of large EfOM into smaller fragments. Also, small organic neutrals are decreased while the small organic acids peak continuously increases with rising specific ozone consumptions. UV254 demonstrates that the aromaticity of all LC-OCD fractions continuously declines together with increasing specific O3 consumptions. This explains the varying EfOM adsorbabilities that occur due to ozonation. The ozone-induced decrease of EfOM adsorbability directly translates into reduced adsorption competition against the adsorption of OMP. With higher specific ozone consumptions, OMP removal and OMP loadings increase. The reduced adsorption competition is reflected in the outputs from equivalent background compound (EBC) modeling. In each of the ozonated waters, correlations between the OMP removals and the UV254 removal were found.

Advanced biodegradable and non-toxic organic chelators, which are soluble in organic media, were synthesized on the basis of the S,S-ethylenediamine-disuccinate (S,S-EDDS) ligand. The modifications suggested in this work include attachment of a lipophilic hydrocarbon chain ("tail") to one or both nitrogen atoms of the S,S-EDDS. The new ligands were designed and evaluated for application in the Sediments Remediation Phase Transition Extraction (SR-PTE) process. This novel process is being developed for the simultaneous removal of both heavy metals and organicpollutants from contaminated soils, sediments or sludge. The new chelators were designed to bind various target metal ions, to promote extraction of these ions into organic solvents. Several variations of attached tails were synthesized and tested. The results for one of them, N,N'-bis-dodecyl-S,S-EDDS (C24-EDDS), showed that the metal-ligand complexes are concentrated in the organic-rich phase in the Phase Transition Extraction process (more than 80%). Preliminary applications of the SR-PTE process with the C24-EDDS ligand were conducted also on actually contaminated sludge (field samples). The extraction of five toxic metals, namely, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was examined. In general, the extraction performance of the new ligand was not less than that of S,S-EDDS when a sufficient ligand-to-extracted ion ratio (about 4:1 was applied.

Geographic membership patterns for three national environmental organizations were compared to determine if similar membership patterns exist for different types of environmental organizations. Results indicated strong similarities in spatial patterns of membership among the groups. All three organizations had higher membership ratios in…

Long term exposure to solvents and air pollutants can lead to deleterious effects on respiratory, haematological and thyroid functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate whether chronic exposure to solvents like benzene and pollutants like carbon monoxide in petrol filling workers had adverse effect on blood parameters, thyroid and respiratory functions. The study group consisted of 42 healthy, non-smoker petrol filling workers, aged 20-50 years with work (exposure) duration from 2-15 years while 36 healthy subjects of the same age group served as controls. Physical examination and measurement of pulmonary functions by portable electronic spirometer were performed. Complete blood pictures (CBP) were determined by normal haematology lab procedure and hormones by Chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) light absorption techniques. There was a significant decrease in the lung volumes and capacities; the restrictive pattern was more prevalent in the workers when compared with the control groups. But in the workers exposed for long period (more than 10 years) the restrictive pattern was changed to mixed pattern. A significant increase in haemoglobin (Hb) (>16 mg %) and red blood cells (RBC) (5.4 million cells/mm3) were observed in workers with longer period of exposure when compared with the control subjects (14.483 mg% and 4.83 million cells/mm3 for Hb and RBC respectively). White blood cell count except eosinophils and platelets were significantly lower in workers compared to controls. Marked increase in the tetra iodothyroinine (T4), free thyroxine (T4F) level and significant decrease in thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH), and tri-iodothyronine (T3) were observed between long term exposed and non-exposed groups. Till now researchers focused only on the effect of solvents in workers professionally exposed to solvents without considering the effect of concomittant air pollution. The result obtained from present study indicates that there is a significant toxic

Nowadays, the unprecedented rates of anthropogenic changes in ecosystems suggest that organisms have to migrate to new distributional ranges or to adapt commensurately quickly to new conditions to avoid becoming extinct. Pollution and global warming are two of the most important threats aquatic organisms will have to face in the near future. If genetic changes in a population in response to natural selection are extensively studied, the role of acclimation through phenotypic plasticity (the property of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to particular environmental conditions) in a species to deal with new environmental conditions remains largely unknown. Proteomics is the extensive study of the protein complement of a genome. It is dynamic and depends on the specific tissue, developmental stage, and environmental conditions. As the final product of gene expression, it is subjected to several regulatory steps from gene transcription to the functional protein. Consequently, there is a discrepancy between the abundance of mRNA and the abundance of the corresponding protein. Moreover, proteomics is closer to physiology and gives a more functional knowledge of the regulation of gene expression than does transcriptomics. The study of protein-expression profiles, however, gives a better portrayal of the cellular phenotype and is considered as a key link between the genotype and the organismal phenotype. Under new environmental conditions, we can observe a shift of the protein-expression pattern defining a new cellular phenotype that can possibly improve the fitness of the organism. It is now necessary to define a proteomic norm of reaction for organisms acclimating to environmental stressors. Its link to fitness will give new insights into how organisms can evolve in a changing environment. The proteomic literature bearing on chronic exposure to pollutants and on acclimation to heat stress in aquatic organisms, as well as potential application of

In this study, the hypothesis that melting Alpine glaciers may represent a secondary source of persistent organic chemicals is investigated. To this end, a dated sediment core from a glacier-fed lake (Lake Oberaar, Switzerland) was analyzed for a wide range of persistent organicpollutants, organochlorine pesticides, and synthetic musk fragrances. Input fluxes of all organochlorines increased in the 1950s, peaked in the 1960s-1970s, and decreased again to low levels in the 1980s-1990s. This observation reflects the emission history of these compounds and technical improvements and regulations leading to reduced emissions some decades ago. The input of synthetic musks remained at a high level in the 1950s-1990s, which is consistent with their relatively constant production throughout the second half of the 20th century. Since the late 1990s, input of all compound classes into the high-Alpine Lake Oberaar has increased sharply. Currently, input fluxes of organochlorines are similar to or even higher than in the 1960s-1970s. This second peak supports the hypothesis that there is a relevant release of persistent organic chemicals from melting Alpine glaciers. Considering ongoing global warming and accelerated massive glacier melting predicted for the future, our study indicates the potential for dire environmental impacts due to pollutants delivered into pristine mountainous areas.

Human milk specimens from 55 women in Shijiazhuang urban and Tangshan rural areas in Hebei Province in northern China were collected and analyzed for persistent organicpollutants, such as p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH), and dioxins. We administered a questionnaire to milk donors at collection time, asking about lifestyle factors that potentially influence organochlorine pesticide (OCP) levels in human milk. We found that the concentrations of p,p'-DDE and beta-HCH in human milk from the primiparous mothers in Shijiazhuang (3330 and 108.8 ng/g fat, respectively) were higher than in samples from mothers from Tangshan (1916 and 21.2 ng/g fat, respectively). In addition, we found the level of p,p'-DDE correlated positively with a dietary history of meat consumption or consumption of internal organs of pigs and sheep (r=0.38 and r=0.52, respectively), but not with intake frequencies of vegetables and fruits in primiparous mothers. The higher level for p,p'-DDE may be due to a greater intake of contaminated fatty foods in the industrialized areas. We also showed that the body burden of p,p'-DDE was higher in the urban group compared to the values in other regions in China after 1998. However, there was no difference in dioxin levels between the two regions. Comprehensive monitoring of persistent organicpollutants in human milk and food is needed in China.

Equilibrium partitioning (EqP) theory is currently the most widely used approach for linking sediment pollution by persistent hydrophobic organic chemicals to bioaccumulation. Most applications of the EqP approach assume (I) a generic relationship between organic carbon-normalized chemical concentrations in sediments and lipid-normalized concentrations in biota and (II) that bioaccumulation does not induce levels exceeding those expected from equilibrium partitioning. Here, we demonstrate that assumption I can be obviated by equilibrating a silicone sampler with chemicals in sediment, measuring chemical concentrations in the silicone, and applying lipid/silicone partition ratios to yield concentrations in lipid at thermodynamic equilibrium with the sediment (CLip⇌Sed). Furthermore, we evaluated the validity of assumption II by comparing CLip⇌Sed of selected persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic pollutants (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)) to lipid-normalized concentrations for a range of biota from a Swedish background lake. PCBs in duck mussels, roach, eel, pikeperch, perch and pike were mostly below the equilibrium partitioning level relative to the sediment, i.e., lipid-normalized concentrations were ≤CLip⇌Sed, whereas HCB was near equilibrium between biota and sediment. Equilibrium sampling allows straightforward, sensitive and precise measurement of CLip⇌Sed. We propose CLip⇌Sed as a metric of the thermodynamic potential for bioaccumulation of persistent organic chemicals from sediment useful to prioritize management actions to remediate contaminated sites.

An efficient and green advanced oxidation process (i.e., photo-sulfite reaction) for the simultaneous oxidation of sulfite and organicpollutants in water is reported. The photo-sulfite system (UV-Fe(III)-sulfite) is based on the Fe-catalyzed sulfite oxidation and photochemistry of Fe(III) species. SO4(•-) and (•)OH radicals were identified in the photo-sulfite system with radical scavenging experiments using specific alcohols. This novel technology was consistently proven to be more favorable than the alternative Fe(III)-sulfite systems for the degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) and other organicpollutants at all conditions tested. The reactivity of photo-sulfite system was sustained due to the spontaneous switch of photoactive species from Fe(III)-sulfito to Fe(III)-hydroxo complexes with the depletion of sulfite and the decrease in pH. In contrast, in the absence of light the performance of the Fe(III)-sulfite system was greatly diminished after the consumption of sulfite. The formation of the Fe(III)-sulfito complex is a necessary step for initiating the photo-sulfite reaction. Inhibition of the oxidation of 2,4,6-TCP and methyl orange (MO) was observed in the presence of ligands that can stabilize one or more of the reactants: Fe(III), Fe(II), or sulfite. Our study provides a new facile route for the generation of SO4(•-) and simultaneous removal of organic and inorganic pollutants.

Indoor pollution in cultural institutions such as museums, libraries and archives is of particular importance. On the one hand, it is essential to provide a healthy indoor climate for museum staff and visitors; on the other hand, cultural assets have to be protected against deterioration. Building materials, preservatives and other products are possible sources of a number of hazardous compounds. In many cases, conservators handle cultural artifacts where the type of preservation is unknown. Therefore, systematic measurements of indoor pollutants in storage rooms of the Lower Saxony State Museum Hanover have been accomplished. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde and organic acids in the ambient air were determined by active sampling and chemical analysis. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and selected elements were examined by sampling and analyzing settled dust. The climatic conditions (temperature and relative humidity) were recorded as well. Most of the VOCs detected in the ambient air are associated with packaging and building products used for furnishing magazines and building exhibition cases. Furthermore, they are associated with products used for preservation and restoration. Wooden shelves and drawers were identified as sources of terpenes and other VOCs. Compounds such as lindane and 1,4-dichlorobenzene are still used as preservatives against insects and fungi. In settled dust, increased concentrations of lead, arsenic and chlorine were found. This result also indicates the application of certain preservatives. The spectrum of detected air pollutants reflects the different application of chemicals and building products in the individual departments. The results have been evaluated with regard to possible adverse effects both on human health and on works of art.

Surficial sediment samples were collected from Hochiminh City canals, the Sai Gon-Dong Nai River, and its estuary, one of the most predominant industrial areas in Hochiminh City, southern Vietnam, for determination of selected persistent organicpollutants (POPs). Contamination pattern was as follows: PCBs > or = DDTs > HCB > CHLs > HCHs. Concentrations of PCBs and DDTs ranged from 0.50-150 ng/g and 0.15-72 ng/g dry wt, respectively. On the other hand, concentrations of CHLs, HCHs, and HCB were mostly <2 ng/g dry wt. Levels of the all organochlorines (OCs) in Hochiminh City canals were significantly higher than those in the other areas, indicating the urban areas as major pollution sources to the aquatic environment. The contamination pattern was PCBs > DDTs in the city canals but PCBs < DDTs in the downstream and the estuary, suggesting particularly high contamination by PCBs in the city. Examination of DDTs composition and their ratios demonstrated continuous input of this pesticide to the city canals. However, the combination of our data and those from available literature implies a decreasing trend of PCBs and DDTs in the environment. DDTs concentrations have been reduced 50% after approximately 5 years. Composition of CHLs in the sediment from Hochiminh City canals was comparable to those of common technical mixtures, suggesting continuous input of CHLs to the environment. CHLs might be in use for purposes like termite control, wood preservation, and protection of underground cables. Hazard assessment implies high toxic potential of DDTs for sediments from Hochiminh City canals and suggests the need for better management of municipal discharges.

Both inorganic- and organic-pillared montmorillonites (PMts) were used to adsorb phenol to study suitable conditions for adsorption and adsorption isotherms. The adsorbing capacity of modified clays depends not only surface area, but mainly on micropore structure and surface components. After incandescing at 500 degrees C, the pillar structure and the basal interlayer spacing (1.83 nm) remained stable. Using modified PMt with surfactant can improve adsorbing capacity greatly. The PMt can be recycled, and it is a potential substance for adsorption of environmental pollutants.

Purpose of this study is to improve the efficiency of removal in wastewater treatment plants of some organicpollutants like pharmaceuticals, antioxidants, pesticides (triazines, phenylurea herbicides), personal care products (PCPs) musk fragrances (galaxolide and tonalide) and estrogens using zeolites with excellent absorption capacity. The zeolite selected for all experiments was Szedimentin-MW. The experiment took place in three stages: no zeolite addition, zeolite added at the end of the bioreactor and zeolite added at the start of the bioreactor. The water samples were pre-concentrated with solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure and analyzed with analytical system Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).

Four subsurface constructed wetlands were built to treat the secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant in Tangshan, China. The chemical pollutant indexes of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed to evaluate the removal efficiency of organicpollutants from the secondary effluent of the wastewater treatment plant. In all cases, the subsurface constructed wetlands were efficient in treating organicpollutants. Under the same hydraulic loading condition, the horizontal flow wetlands exhibited better efficiency of COD removal than vertical flow wetlands: the removal rates in horizontal flow wetlands could be maintained at 68.4 ± 2.42% to 92.2 ± 1.61%, compared with 63.8 ± 1.19% to 85.0 ± 1.25% in the vertical flow wetlands. Meanwhile, the chemical reaction kinetics of organicpollutants was analyzed, and the results showed that the degradation courses of the four subsurface wetlands all corresponded with the first order reaction kinetics to a large extent.

Microplastics pose a threat to coastal environments due to their capacity to adsorb persistent organicpollutants (POPs). These particles (less than 5 mm in size) are potentially dangerous to marine species due to magnification risk over the food chain. Samples were collected from two Portuguese beaches and sorted in four classes to relate the adsorption capacity of pollutants with color and age. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDTs were analysed on pellets through gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and types of plastic were identified using Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopy (micro-FTIR). Microplastics were mostly polyethylene and polypropylene. Regarding sizes, some fibres ranged from 1 to 5 μm in diameter and were 500 μm in length. The majority of samples collected had sizes above 200 μm. Black pellets, unlike aged pellets, had the highest concentrations of POPs except for PAHs in Fonte da Telha beach. PAHs with higher concentrations were pyrene, phenantrene, chrysene and fluoranthene. Higher concentrations of PCBs were found for congeners 18, 31, 138 and 187. Further investigation is necessary to understand the relationship between plastic degradation and adsorption for different pollutants.

Emerging persistent organicpollutants (POPs) have widely aroused public concern in recent years. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride/perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (POSF/PFOS) had been newly listed in Stockholm Convention in 2009, and short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) were listed as candidate POPs. Bohai Sea is located in the arms of numbers of industrial cities, the semienclosed location of which makes it an ideal sink of emerging pollutants. In the present paper, latest contamination status of emerging POPs in Bohai Sea was reviewed. According to the literature data, Bohai Sea areas are not heavily contaminated by emerging POPs (PBDE: 0.01–720 ng/g; perfluorinated compounds: 0.1–304 ng/g; SCCPs: 64.9–5510 ng/g; HBCDs: nd-634 ng/g). Therefore, humans are not likely to be under serious risk of emerging POPs exposure through consuming seafood from Bohai Sea. However, the ubiquitous occurrence of emerging POPs in Bohai Sea region might indicate that more work should be done to expand the knowledge about potential risk of emerging POPs pollution. PMID:24688410

Persistent organicpollutants (POPs) are within the most dangerous pollutants released into the environment by human activities. Due to their resistance to degradation (chemical, biological or photolytic), it is critical to assess the fate and environmental hazards of the exchange of POPs between different environmental media. System Dynamics enables to represent complex systems and analyze their dynamic behavior. It provides a highly visual representation of the structure of the system and the existing relationships between the several parameters and variables, facilitating the understanding of the behavior of the system. In the present study the fate of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) in a contaminated soil was modeled using the Vensim® simulation software. Results show a gradual decrease in the lindane content in the soil during a simulation period of 10 years. The most important route affecting the concentrations of the contaminant was the biochemical degradation, followed by infiltration and hydrodynamic dispersion. The model appeared to be highly sensitive to the half-life of the pollutant, which value depends on environmental conditions and directly affects the biochemical degradation.

We investigate the relationship between synoptic/local meteorological patterns and PM10 air pollution levels in the metropolitan area of Naples, Italy. We found that severe air pollution crises occurred when the 850 and 500 hpa geopotential heights and their relative temperatures present maximum values above the city. The most relevant synoptic parameter was the 850 hPa geopotential height, which is located about 1500 m of altitude. We compared local meteorological conditions (specifically wind stress, rain amount and thermal inversion) against the urban air pollution levels from 2009 to 2013. We found several empirical criteria for forecasting high daily PM10 air pollution levels in Naples. Pollution crises occurred when (a) the wind stress was between 1 and 2 m/s, (b) the thermal inversion between two strategic locations was at least 3°C/200 m and (c) it did not significantly rain for at least 7 days. Beside these meteorological conditions, severe pollution crises occurred also during festivals when fireworks and bonfires are lighted, and during anomalous breeze conditions and severe fire accidents. Finally, we propose a basic model to predict PM10 concentration levels from local meteorological conditions that can be easily forecast a few days in advance. The synthetic PM10 record predicted by the model was found to correlate with the PM10 observations with a correlation coefficient close to 0.80 with a confidence level greater than 99%. The proposed model is expected to provide reliable information to city officials to carry out practical strategies to mitigate air pollution effects. Although the proposed model equation is calibrated on the topographical and meteorological conditions of Naples, it should be easily adaptable to alternative locations.

The impacts of the diurnal variation of surface temperature on street canyon flow pattern and pollutant dispersion are investigated based on a two-dimensional street canyon model under different thermal stratifications. Uneven distributed street temperature conditions and a user-defined wall function representing the heat transfer between the air and the street canyon are integrated into the current numerical model. The prediction accuracy of this model is successfully validated against a published wind tunnel experiment. Then, a series of numerical simulations representing four time scenarios (Morning, Afternoon, Noon and Night) are performed at different Bulk Richardson number (Rb). The results demonstrate that uneven distributed street temperature conditions significantly alters street canyon flow structure and pollutant dispersion characteristics compared with conventional uniform street temperature assumption, especially for the morning event. Moreover, air flow patterns and pollutant dispersion are greatly influenced by diurnal variation of surface temperature under unstable stratification conditions. Furthermore, the residual pollutant in near-ground-zone decreases as Rb increases in noon, afternoon and night events under all studied stability conditions.

Carbon-based aerogel fabricated from waste biomass is a potential absorbent material for solving organicpollution. Herein, the lightweight, hydrophobic and porous carbon aerogels (CAs) have been synthesized through freezing-drying and post-pyrolysis by using waste newspaper as the only raw materials. The as-prepared CAs exhibited a low density of 18.5 mg cm(-3) and excellent hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 132° and selective absorption for organic reagents. The absorption capacity of CA for organic compounds can be 29-51 times its own weight. Moreover, three methods (e.g., squeezing, combustion, and distillation) can be employed to recycle CA and harvest organicpollutants. Combined with waste biomass as raw materials, green and facile fabrication process, excellent hydrophobicity and oleophilicity, CA used as an absorbent material has great potential in application of organicpollutant solvents absorption and environmental protection.

Ecological structures and processes occur at specific spatiotemporal scales, and interactions that occur across multiple scales mediate scale-specific (e.g., individual, community, local, or regional) responses to disturbance. Despite the importance of scale, explicitly incorporating a multi-scale perspective into research and management actions remains a challenge. The discontinuity hypothesis provides a fertile avenue for addressing this problem by linking measureable proxies to inherent scales of structure within ecosystems. Here we outline the conceptual framework underlying discontinuities and review the evidence supporting the discontinuity hypothesis in ecological systems. Next we explore the utility of this approach for understanding cross-scale patterns and the organization of ecosystems by describing recent advances for examining nonlinear responses to disturbance and phenomena such as extinctions, invasions, and resilience. To stimulate new research, we present methods for performing discontinuity analysis, detail outstanding knowledge gaps, and discuss potential approaches for addressing these gaps.

This study analyzes the 1993 National Directory of HMOs to determine the extent to which rural counties are included in health maintenance organization (HMO) service areas. Two specific questions are addressed: (1) How do the patterns of service areas differ across HMO model types? (2) What are the characteristics that distinguish rural counties served by HMOs from those that are not? Although a majority of rural counties are in HMO service areas, substantially fewer are served by non-individual practice association (non-IPA) models. Access to HMO services is found to decrease with county population density, and adjacency to metropolitan areas is an important predictor of inclusion in service areas. PMID:10153478

Microplastics have the potential to uptake and release persistent organicpollutants (POPs); however, subsequent transfer to marine organisms is poorly understood. Some models estimating transfer of sorbed contaminants to organisms neglect the role of gut surfactants under differing physiological conditions in the gut (varying pH and temperature), examined here. We investigated the potential for polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) to sorb and desorb (14)C-DDT, (14)C-phenanthrene (Phe), (14)C-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and (14)C-di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Desorption rates of POPs were quantified in seawater and under simulated gut conditions. Influence of pH and temperature was examined in order to represent cold and warm blooded organisms. Desorption rates were faster with gut surfactant, with a further substantial increase under